What Once Was Lost
by ShadowNinja12
Summary: Aria Montgomery didn't have very many regrets but being MIA from Rosewood, Pennsylvania for three years was one of them. When her reason for staying gone is no longer a threat will she go home or have too many things changed?
1. Chapter 1

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the windows of the small New York apartment. Spring had finally hit and the snow-filled clouds had all rolled out not to return until November. The heavy coats and gloves were all packed up in a box tucked in the back of a closet.

Normally this would make someone happy, but not Aria. Spring had always been her favorite time of year in Rosewood. Back when she was younger it meant colorful flowers and greener greenery. It meant the end of school and the beginning of trips to the pool and sleepovers with her four best friends. But now it intensified the homesickness that was her constant companion. She wanted to go back so badly, but she couldn't. It wasn't safe and she had more than herself to think about.

Most of her days started like this, her sitting on the window seat that looked out over the numerous concrete buildings that made up New York. Her arms would be looped around her knees as she stared longingly in the direction of Rosewood, Pennsylvania.

"Mommy?" a small voice asked, coming from the bedroom door.

Aria pulled herself out of her thoughts and smiled as her daughter walked in her direction, still half asleep. Sadie was holding her bunny in one hand and dragging her pink blanket behind her in the other one while rubbing her eyes.

"Hi. How did you sleep?" Aria got up and met her in the middle, sparing her two year old the pain of running into the corner of the kitchen table which she had done on more than one occasion.

"Good." she said with a yawn.

"Are you ready for breakfast?" the young mother asked, setting her down in her chair.

She nodded and Aria went to the fridge and pulled out two bananas and the leftover pancakes from earlier that week. In a couple of minutes both mother and daughter were eating in silence. Aria finished a while before Sadie did, as usual, and looked around.

The apartment that they had been living in for the past two and a half years wasn't big. It only consisted of two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room, but she didn't really need much bigger; it was only the two of them.

And Aria knew that she was extremely lucky. Most teen mothers were living in shelters and barely scraping up enough money to buy one meal. Aria had enough to maintain the apartment and purchase clothes for her growing daughter. She had been able to get her high school diploma which helped her secure a job at a small boutique that was only two blocks from her home. She had a nice woman who tended Sadie for very little money and friends who she trusted with her life. Things could be worse.

But things could also be better. They could be in Rosewood where Sadie could know her grandparents and Aria could still have her lifelong friends that she had grown up with. Aria could be attending Hollis so that she could get a better job and be getting the money to buy Sadie a prom dress or send her to college one day. She could be in a city where she didn't have to worry about their lives every time they stepped out into the streets. They could wake up in apartment 3B where Aria had spent the majority of her high school days and Sadie could know her father.

Aria promptly returned to her present circumstances to avoid letting her mind wander to the father of her child. It hurt whenever her thoughts went in that direction because of how badly she missed him, and because she knew that he was no longer hers. She had given him up. It wasn't exactly her choice, but it had happened none the less.

She tried to forget about him, but it was impossible. He was one of the first things that crossed her mind each morning and one of the last things she saw as she drifted to sleep each night, second only to her daughter. It was excruciatingly frustrating that even after three years of no communication of any sort, he still had this much power over her.

Sadie looked up from her breakfast and Aria couldn't help smiling. At least she had Sadie, this beautiful little girl who meant the literal world to her. As long as they were together, everything would be alright.

"Finish up, honey. It's about time to go to Grandma Jo's." Grandma Jo wasn't really her grandma and her real name was actually Joanne, but that was just what Sadie called her. It used to be Gamma Oh, but since then, her pronunciation skills had improved quite noticeably.

Grandma Jo had been a life saver when Aria first arrived at New York, a scared, one-month pregnant seventeen year old. She offered her a place to stay and arranged for her to finish senior year at a local high school. She helped Aria get through her final months of pregnancy and made sure that she knew how to care for a newborn. Without her advice, Aria wasn't sure how she would have kept Sadie alive.

"Can't you stay here today?" Sadie pouted, sticking her lower lip out and looking at her with her large, blue puppy eyes.

That face was really hard to say no to, but Aria managed. "Not today. I've got to go to work, but when I get back let's watch a movie or something, okay?"

"Okay." Sadie was probably the most easy-going child Aria had ever witnessed. While at work she had seen many mother's coming in, dragging their children behind them as they screamed and kicked. They would beg for ice cream or a balloon animal and eventually the mothers would give in just to make them stop whining. Sadie had never been like that. She was more reserved and naturally quiet, which was probably how her dad had been when he was her age.

"Knock, knock?" someone yelled from the front door, not actually bothering to knock. "I'm looking for a Sadie Montgomery. Is she here?"

Sadie ran to the door and hugged the visitor as he walked in. "I'm right here." she giggled.

"Wait, you're Sadie?" Hunter Dawson asked, picking her up. "No, you can't be Sadie. The Sadie I remember was only a baby and you are obviously a little girl."

"You were here yesterday, Hunter." she said, not buying his little antics.

"Oh, that's right." He flashed a smile and set her down so that she could finish breakfast then took the chair next to Aria.

Hunter Dawson was Grandma Jo's nephew who she adopted when his parents died in a car crash. He was two years older than Aria and had quickly taken the position of being her 'big brother.' They were really close but their relationship was and always had been strictly platonic. Aria suspected that he wanted it to be more than that, but she had never left that possibility open.

"You look sharp. Do you have an interview or something?" Aria asked, looking over his neatly combed brown hair and pleated pants. This was probably only the seventh time that she had seen him wear a tie in the three years that she had lived there. Maybe that's why he had never managed to keep a job for more than two months.

"Do you think I look sophisticated enough to be a financial advisor?" he posed dramatically in his chair looking somewhat like the life sized statues that were found in various locations around the city.

Aria smiled. "Yeah. You'll nail it."

"Good. I was sent here by Jo to steal your child and take her captive to her lair where she will be spoiled with cookies and treated better than the Queen of England." Hunter had two sides to him: the one where he was completely serious and supportive friend and the one where he was more childish than the child. Right now he was obviously in the second mood.

Aria glanced at the clock on her cell phone and sighed. "I'm running a little late. Would you mind cleaning up breakfast? I've got to get her dressed."

He nodded and went right to work and Aria took Sadie's hand and led her to her bedroom, making sure to pick up the bunny and blanket on the way.

Aria quickly grabbed a shirt and skirt out of her small dresser and slid them on as fast as only mother's are capable of doing. Then she led her to the bathroom where she ran a brush through her hair and did a small braid on one side. Then she stood Sadie up on the counter and stepped back to make sure that it looked okay.

Aria couldn't help but notice how beautiful her daughter was. Her chocolate brown hair was long and thick, especially for a two year old, and had natural loose curls. That was a trait that she inherited from her mother. Her blue eyes definitely came from her father. Sadie was going to be small which could only be attributed to Aria. It still amazed her that their love made such an amazing little girl. She only wished that Ezra could be here with her to share in her pride, but he didn't even know that she existed.

"You look beautiful." Aria kissed the top of her head as she lifted her down and set her on the floor.

"Aria, its eight forty-five. You're going to be late." Hunter called from the kitchen.

"You ready?" Aria asked Sadie who nodded her head.

They went back into the kitchen where Aria handed Sadie over to Hunter along with her shoes that she hadn't had time to put on. "I'm going to go now. I love you, sweetheart. I'll be back to get you later. Thanks Hunter."

She grabbed her phone and keys and headed out the door, prepared to start yet another week of New York life. She knew that there were people out there who dreamed of living in New York City, but all Aria wanted was to get out of it. It just wasn't home and it never would be. Rosewood, Pennsylvania would always hold that title, no matter where life took her.

* * *

"Hello, can I help you find anything today?" Makayla Brian asked a woman who had just walked through the front door of NYC's Chic Boutique where Aria was currently employed. She'd had the job for over a year and she didn't really have any complaints.

She and Makayla had become fast friends since their work schedules were practically identical. The job paid pretty well and let her take time off when she needed to. Their boss was a laid back woman who owned thirty small shops like this one all across the country with most of them located in California and New York. And because they worked there they got really good discounts on the clothes which was why Aria dressed like someone who had a lot more money than she actually did. One thing that hadn't changed about her since moving to New York was her bold sense of style.

The woman who just walked in was of the upper class. Aria could tell instantly by the way that she walked in with excellent posture and short precise steps. This woman meant business.

"I can find it myself, thank you very much." The woman continued on to the back of the store where the more professional attire was kept.

Aria stepped out from behind the clothes rack that she was straightening and went over to where Makayla stood behind the cash register. "So how are things going with you and Tyler?"

A few months ago Makayla had come to work with her blondish hair in a ponytail and with almost no make-up on which was highly unusual for her; she probably spent more time in the bathroom than she did sleeping. When asked what was wrong, Makayla had spilled the whole story about how Tyler was a rich boy with strict parents who didn't approve of her. That had driven a knife in between them and they were having a hard time holding on.

"Better. He invited me over for dinner and once his parents actually got to know me they started to give me a chance. I think we're going to be okay." From the way Makayla bit her lip as she said the last sentence Aria could tell that she really loved him. It made her a little jealous but she didn't let that show. From what Makayla knew, she was just a single mom who wanted nothing to do with the entire male species.

"That's good. I'm really happy for you, Makayla." Aria said sincerely.

There conversation was interrupted by the woman who had returned from the back carrying a black pencil skirt and black nylons. "Whenever you're ready, I'd like to check out."

"I'm going to go sort through that new order of clothes in the back. If you need anything, just call." Aria excused herself and left Makayla to deal with the snobbish woman.

Aria busied herself in sorting clothes by design and then by size, preparing them in stacks to carry out and place on the racks. She made sure the price tags were still attached and accurate.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out to see that Makayla needed help with a customer and she left her piles to go assist in the front.

Once she was in the main aisle she could see why she needed help. There were about eight women who all happened to enter at the same time. A few of them were reading their lists to Makayla simultaneously and she looked very confused.

Aria jumped in and helped them find what they needed. It took a minute but they got everything sorted out and left the women happy. After they had walked out of the door, Aria and Makayla high fived at successfully satisfying the opinionated women. That could be very difficult sometimes.

Out of the corner of her eye Aria saw the door open but there was only one person there so she went to finish her work in the storage room.

She used a rolling rack to transfer the clothes after she was finished sorting them to their respective places throughout the store. While working there, she had become really skilled at maneuvering through the tightly packed clothing displays and tables.

Aria's mind was not functioning correctly that day though and she got so lost in her thoughts that she accidentally bumped into a customer as she moved backwards to reach another shelf.

"I'm so sorry." She let go and turned around to face the person that she almost ran over. Who she saw shocked her.

"Aria? Oh my gosh, it really is you."

She was so surprised that her feet couldn't move and she was frozen to the spot. It had been over three years since they had seen each other last, since she had seen anyone from her hometown. And somehow she was here, in New York, in the same shop that Aria worked at. It really was a small world.

Standing in front of her was the one and only Melissa Hastings.

* * *

**That's chapter one! I'm hopefully going to update twice a week so you can be expecting chapter two later this week. In the coming chapters you will learn more about why Aria left and hasn't returned even though it's so obvious that she wants to. Please review and tell me what you think! Random sidenote: I sort of want to adopt Sadie Fitzgerald:)**


	2. Chapter 2

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

"Hi." Aria finally managed to say, still processing what was going on. If Melissa said anything to anyone about seeing her, her whole cover was blown. She could relocate to California or something; they could be gone in a week tops.

Mentally she scolded herself. She needed to have a little more information before she packed up and skipped town.

"Where have you been? No one's heard from you in years." Melissa asked with an encouraging smile. Her hair was longer than Aria ever remembered it being but she still was dressed as a wealthy, well-educated over-achiever. There was something about her smile that was genuine though.

"I've been here, in New York." she replied before turning the conversation off of herself. "How have things been in Rosewood?"

"It's still Rosewood. Small town. Lots of rumors. Little things becoming big news. You know how it is." Melissa shrugged.

Aria winced a little at that. "What are they saying about me?"

"There are many speculations circulating through the town, but those aren't relevant right now. Why haven't you called? Your parents have been frantic looking for you. They still are. Spencer, Emily, Hanna, and Alison still jump whenever their phones beep in case it might be you. Everyone misses you, Aria."

The guilt inside of the small brunette was building. She knew that she should have reached out to someone a long time ago, but she didn't dare. It ate at her every day. "I just had to leave. You wouldn't understand." That was a weak argument and Aria knew it.

Melissa gave her the Hastings' look which meant 'Are you serious?' "Try me."

"I just had to leave. And believe me, it wasn't an easy decision. It still isn't easy. I miss it so much, but things have changed." Aria said resolutely, not willing to falter or show weakness. She needed to be strong both for Sadie and for herself.

"Aria, you may not be willing to open up, but you should know that there are people who really care about you. They haven't forgotten about you, none of us have. People still wonder where you went and some think that you are dead. Do you have any idea how hard it is for your family when all of their searches turn up empty handed, but they refuse to give up hope?"

Aria had to bite her lip and look away for a minute to stop the tears from falling. Melissa waited patiently for her reply, watching her with concerned eyes. She could tell just by looking at her little sister's best friend that something was different. Some key thing had changed.

"It kills me, Melissa. It really does. But I can't go home. I can't." The words escaping from her mouth turned around and stabbed her in the heart and a solitary tear rolled down her cheek.

The bell above the door rang and Aria instinctively went on tiptoes to see if Makayla would need help with them. Makayla was currently on the phone with another customer and she mouthed the word 'help.'

"It looks like you better get back to work, but when you get off let's go somewhere for dinner. My treat."

Aria was still hesitant, but her curiosity about her family and friends won over. "Okay. I get off in three hours. Just tell me where."

Melissa smiled slightly. "Aria, if I'm going to tell you where then I'm going to need your number."

Aria's cheeks colored as she blushed. She apologized and quickly listed off the seven digits. "I've got to go. And Melissa, can you not tell anyone that you saw me?"

"I won't tell them, at least not until dinner when we can talk some more. But after dinner, I think that you should tell them. There's no reason to stay gone. A hasn't bothered them for almost a year. Everyone misses you. High school is over. You have people there who can support you."

Aria's hazel eyes widened. "Rewind that a little for me. You said that A hadn't bothered them in almost a year? Does that mean that she slash he slash it is really gone?"

"Is that why you left? Because of A?" Melissa asked, raising one eyebrow.

From the front desk she saw Makayla waving trying to get her attention which she used as an excuse to not answer the question. "I've really got to go. I'll see you later."

Melissa just nodded, watching Aria as she made her way to the front of the store thinking over their conversation. Running into Aria was a one in a million chance in NYC, yet it had happened. Life always had to keep the game interesting.

She sighed and continued wandering around the little shop. She would get answers soon enough.

* * *

"Holy crap, Aria. You haven't stopped pacing since you had that conversation. Two hours ago." Makayla emphasized the last three words. "What's going on?"

Aria stopped walking back and forth and resorted to tapping nervously on the check-out counter. "I've been living here for three years now. I left home because I was almost killed. Then I didn't go back because I couldn't put my child in danger. And now my reason for leaving is gone."

Makayla's eyes narrowed. "I thought you said that your parents were control freaks who never let you do anything so you ran away and you got pregnant while being drunk at a frat party that you snuck into."

"I lied. I'm sorry; it's just that I couldn't let my parents find me. But now I can go home." Those words sparked a glimmer of hope that she hadn't allowed in a very long time. "I can go home." She repeated breathlessly.

Makayla was twirling her blondish hair around her finger. "So you know who Sadie's dad is?"

Aria nodded, a small smile forming on the corner of her lips. "Yeah I do."

"And does he know that he's a daddy? How's that going to go over?" She asked.

Aria hadn't exactly thought of what she would say or how she would make her amends when she went back. She just knew that she could go home. "I don't know."

"And what about your parents? Siblings? How will that reception be?"

Makayla's questions were really making Aria second guess returning to Rosewood. Aria couldn't just go back and pick up her life where she left it off. "I don't know."

"What about friends? Have you spoken to them at all?"

Aria shook her head. "I haven't talked to anyone."

Makayla flashed her bright smile. "That should be fun. When you get there, make sure to call me and keep me posted."

"I've changed my mind. I'm not going home."

"Yes you are. You have to. Think about what that could mean for you and for your daughter. Sadie could know her grandparents. She could know her dad."

Aria's mind was turning faster than the wheels of a racecar as she thought about all of the things that could now become a reality rather than hopeless dreams. But then she thought about the awkward conversations and the never ending questions. She thought about seeing her brother who would have become a man in the time that she was gone and she missed that. She thought about her mom and about her wedding that she had missed. Returning to Rosewood and seeing everything that had changed would hurt just as much as staying away did.

But then she thought about her parents meeting Sadie. She thought about what her dad would look like when they were first introduced. She thought about how her mom would spoil her rotten. She thought about Mike playing with her like Hunter did.

"But what about my life here?"

She rolled her eyes. "Really, Aria? You don't have a life here. You pretty much come to work and then go back to your apartment and pick up take out on the way and then do the same thing the next day. No parties. No hobbies. No boys."

"Geez, thanks dude. You make me sound like a real loser."

She just shrugged. "You kind of are."

Aria wasn't really offended; she was used to Makayla's blatant honesty. And she couldn't really argue with her statement. "Fine. But what about Joanne and Hunter and Peyton? They've all become like my second family. And I can't just quit here."

"Yes you can. Here I'll even help you out." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed their boss's number. Aria tried to lean across the table and take the phone from her but she couldn't reach. "Hello, Caroline. Yes, this is Makayla from NYC's Chic Boutique."

Aria panicked as she listened to their conversation.

"Yes, everything is fine; it's just that Aria had something to tell you." Makayla took the phone from her ear and whispered. "She wants to talk to you."

Aria slowly shook her head, glaring at her as she took the phone.

"Hello?"

Caroline answered. "Aria, you needed to talk to me?"

"Umm, yeah. I just had to call and tell you that…" she almost made up something about how much she liked her newest shop that was located only a few streets down. Makayla nodded in encouragement and Aria just took a deep breath and continued talking before she lost the courage. "I'm moving to Pennsylvania, and so I'm going to have to resign."

"Pennsylvania? Why there?" her boss asked with confusion in her voice.

"Because that's where my family is, and I'm ready to go home."

The other end of the phone was silent for what seemed like an eternity. "Okay, thanks for calling. I'll get your last paycheck to you."

"Thank you, Caroline. For everything."

"It's no problem, Aria. Thank you for your hard work. And stay in touch."

Aria smiled, relieved that her boss didn't make it any harder than it had to be. "Will do."

They ended the call and Aria turned back to her friend. "I want to slap you and thank you at the same time."

"The latter would work fine."

Aria smiled and hugged the taller blonde. "Thank you."

* * *

Peyton Dawson sat on the couch in Aria's small living room, holding Sadie in her lap. "I'm both really excited for you and really sad. I'm going to miss you."

Sadie looked between the two adults in the room, not quite following the conversation. Peyton smiled, "And I'll miss you too. What am I supposed to do without my Sadie-bug?"

Aria was pulling together an outfit to wear to their dinner. Melissa had made reservations at one of the fanciest restaurants in the city, and Aria was kind of freaking out. "Should I wear the white dress or the orange one?" She asked, holding up two hangers.

"You should wear the orange one, mommy." Sadie called out.

Peyton nodded. "I think I'll side with Sadie. The orange one goes well with your dark hair." Peyton Dawson was Hunter's younger sister who was also adopted by Joanne. Besides for Makayla, she was the only friend Aria had.

"Okay. But what about shoes? Do I wear the brown ones or the black ones?"

Peyton smiled. "Aria, it's a dinner. You're not meeting the president or anything." Aria glared at her. "Wear the brown ones. They make you look a lot taller."

Aria retreated into the bathroom to change. Peyton looked down at the two year old. "Is she always like this when she gets dressed?"

Sadie just lifted her shoulders up and down in an attempt to shrug. Peyton smiled and ruffled her hair before pushing play on the movie that they had been watching before Aria walked in.

Ten minutes later Aria resurfaced with her dress on and redone hair. "Are you sure that it's not a problem for you to watch her?"

"We're fine, Aria. Go have a good time."

Aria went over and kissed Sadie's head. "Okay. I shouldn't be more than two hours."

"Go." Peyton repeated, smiling at how shaken up Aria was after everything that had happened that day.

Aria left their apartment on the sixth floor and hailed a cab on the street. The whole way there she was anxiously wringing her hands. She didn't know why she was so nervous; Melissa wasn't that scary. But on second thought, she did know why she was so nervous.

What if someone had died? What if one of her friends was married? What if her mom had another child? What if Mike had joined the marines? What if Ezra had moved on? That last question was probably what she was the most scared about.

She paid the cab driver and stepped out onto the sidewalk, taking a deep breath and reassuring herself that she was strong enough to do this.

Aria walked through the revolving door and was directed to where Melissa was seated. She looked even more sophisticated than normal.

"I hope this is okay. My friend recommended that I try it when she heard that I was coming to New York."

Aria sat in the chair across from her and looked around at her lavish settings. "This is amazing."

"I'm glad you like it. So how have you been?"

Their conversation proceeded from there, interrupted only by the occasional waiter. Melissa asked Aria questions about how she had spent the last three years and Aria asked her about everything Rosewood.

Apparently Spencer had attended three years of college in California but was still unsure of her major. Emily went to Danby on a swimming scholarship even after her whole shoulder incident. Hanna was attending a beauty school in Rosewood and was married to Caleb. Ali started working for her dad right after they graduated and hadn't ever gone to college. All of them were back in Rosewood for the summer since their semesters had all ended.

Aria's dad was still a professor. Her mom was married to Zack and did not have any more children, much to Aria's unexpressed relief. Mike was in Nevada coaching lacrosse.

Melissa was able to learn why Aria had left, but not why she had stayed gone. She learned about Aria finishing high school and then about her jobs. She heard about Aria's new friends.

Aria was much more hesitant with her answers than Melissa was. She wasn't sure about what Melissa's motive was.

"Are you serious? Please tell me you're joking." Aria asked, looking with wide eyes at Melissa.

"I'm completely serious. Mona and Lucas are in a really committed relationship."

When Aria had left Rosewood, Mona was still pulling strings. Not as A, but she still had it out for Ali. Lucas was helping her but there had been nothing romantic at all. She was completely weirded out.

"Wow." Aria replied. She was actually really glad that they had this dinner. Melissa had answered so many of her questions concerning her family and friends. She no longer had to guess or make up stories for where they ended up.

"Excuse me." A waiter with a deep voice asked, slightly scaring Aria and causing her to jump in her seat. "There is someone in the lobby who needs to speak with you."

Aria knew that it must have something to do with Sadie. "Thank you. Melissa, I will be right back. I'm sorry."

"It's no problem."

Aria stood and followed the waiter to the lobby where she found Hunter standing, holding Sadie's hand. He had lost the tie and changed into tennis shoes. Sadie's hair was curled and she was wearing a dress, but there appeared to be no damage.

"What's up? Where's Peyton?"

Hunter ran his hand through his hair. "She had a work emergency so she called Jo but she was out with a friend. And then she called me and I have a party that I forgot I was supposed to attend."

"And it was you that curled her hair?" Aria was a little skeptical about that prospect.

He smiled. "I'm good, aren't I?"

Sadie spoke up. "Peyton did before she left."

Hunter checked his wrist watch. "Anyhow, I've got to get going. Here she is and she hasn't eaten anything so I was hoping that you had leftover food that she could have."

"Okay. Thanks Hunter," she said as she took her daughter's hand.

He nodded and slipped out again. Aria had nothing else to do so she led Sadie through the tables to where Melissa was still sitting. Melissa's brown eyes widened as she saw the little girl.

Aria sat down and pulled her daughter up onto her lap. "I'm sorry. She didn't have anywhere else to go."

Melissa recovered from her surprise quickly. "It's no problem. What's your name?" She directed the question at Sadie who answered.

Aria cut some of the meat on her plate into smaller pieces and separated the green beans from the rest of the food. If there was one thing that Sadie hated, it was green beans.

"How old are you?"

She held up the best two that her little hands could manage.

Melissa smiled. The girl was definitely pretty and definitely Aria's. Aria was a mother. That's why she never came home. "You're two? When does she turn three?" Melissa asked Aria.

"In August. On the first. I know you're doing the math. I got pregnant right before I left Rosewood. I didn't know when I left, and when I found out I ran even further. I didn't want her to be in danger." It was the best quick explanation that Aria could come up with on the spot.

"She's adorable. Aria, I'm so happy for you."

Aria smiled and looked at her daughter with pride in her eyes. "Thank you."

Melissa motioned for the little girl to go see her. Aria was thoroughly surprised when Sadie immediately jumped off of her mother's lap and went over to see Melissa. Normally she was extremely shy; it took her a month before she would ever even say hello to Makayla.

"Do you know who her dad is?" Melissa asked.

Aria nodded, not sure of how much Melissa knew about her and Ezra's relationship.

"Was it your English teacher, by any chance?" Melissa didn't sound reprimanding in any way.

Aria nodded slightly, a little embarrassed. It sounded so wrong when it was said like that.

"Does he know?"

Again Aria shook her head.

"Will he know?" Melissa let Sadie play with her hair as she continued to question Aria.

She shrugged. "I guess if I'm going back then he'll know sooner or later. He is still in Rosewood, right?"

"I actually don't know. Our paths never really crossed at all." Melissa reached around Sadie and grabbed something from her bag. It was an envelope that she slid across the table.

"What's this?" Aria asked, looking from the envelope to Melissa.

"Open it." Spencer's older sister encouraged.

Aria grabbed it off of the table and opened it. She pulled out two train tickets and three $100 bills. "I appreciate this, really, but I can take from my savings to get us there."

Melissa shook her head. "Don't take from you savings. You'll need that later. Girls can be very expensive sometimes." She gestured to Sadie who was watching the whole thing with curious eyes. "And my family would never forgive me if I didn't help you out. It's really not that big of a deal."

"Thank you, Melissa. I can't thank you enough."

The older woman smiled. "Actually, I have a way that you can repay me. Other than money, anyways."

Aria instantly got cautious. "What?"

"Let me steal your daughter. She is seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen." Melissa said, tickling Sadie's tummy.

Aria looked at her with a very surprised expression.

"I'm kidding. You really don't owe me anything." Melissa laughed and Aria visibly relaxed. "So are you excited?"

"Yes. No. I don't know." Aria shrugged.

Melissa asked Sadie the same question. Her response was an immediate yes.

Even though Sadie didn't fully understand the implications of going to Rosewood, Aria was still extremely happy that she was excited. One sentence kept running through her mind like words on a marquee. They were going home.

* * *

Aria looked back at the apartment that had been their home for the past three years. It was where Sadie first rolled over. It was where she said her first word. It was where she first learned how to walk. It was where they had spent countless nights together watching a movie on the couch or reading books until her little eyelids were too heavy to keep open.

But now it was time to say goodbye. Goodbye to the apartment. Goodbye to Hunter, Peyton, and Joanne. Goodbye to Makayla. Goodbye to New York City.

The pair had already been up to Joanne's and gave their farewells. Peyton and Hunter had been there helping them pack their few belongings into cardboard boxes and promising to send them as soon as she knew where she would be staying. Makayla had come the night before bringing dinner. Each of these goodbyes had brought a few tears, but Aria couldn't shake the excitement or the nervousness.

Sadie looked up at her mother with wide blue eyes. "Are you ready mommy?"

Aria nodded and pulled the door shut. She picked up Sadie and grabbed the suitcase with her other hand, making her way to the elevator. As soon as she neared it, Sadie buried her head into Aria's shoulder. For some reason she was terrified of elevators and she always had been. She would squeeze her eyes shut as tight as she could and wouldn't open them until her mom said that they were out. Sadie didn't like small, enclosed spaces. And in that way the two were similar. Both were free spirits who didn't like to be confined.

The doors dinged open. "Sadie, it's over."

Her daughter lifted her head out of her shoulder but still clung to the fabric of her shirt. Someone held the door open for her as she walked out onto the teeming sidewalks of New York for what would be the last time in a while.

A big clock on the side of a nearby building read 4:15. The train they were riding on left at 4:45 which would get them to Rosewood by 7:00. Melissa had given her Spencer's address at the dinner that was almost a week ago. That's where Aria planned to go even though she wasn't sure about what sort of reception she would receive. It was worth a shot though. The two had always had a very strong friendship and Aria knew that even time couldn't diminish that.

A taxi transferred them from the apartment complex to the train station. Sadie held tightly onto Aria's hand as they walked around to find where they were supposed to be. It was 4:37 by the time they found where they were supposed to be and got everything situated.

Waiting those eight minutes for the bus was torture for Aria. With each passing second she grew more anxious, anticipating the moment when she saw the small town again as they pulled up.

Sadie seemed to sense her mother's nervousness. "Are you scared?"

Aria looked down and smiled. "A little bit. Are you scared?"

The two year old thought for a minute, her eyebrows scrunched up. "Should I be scared?"

Aria shook her head instantly, "No, you shouldn't be scared. There are nice people there who will love you a lot and who won't let anything happen to you."

"Then why are you scared?" Sometimes her child's insight amazed her. Growing up with only adults, Sadie had a bigger vocabulary than most other children her age. She was also very perceptive since she spent her time observing rather than chattering as toddlers often had a tendency to do. She wasn't really one to express her feelings out loud which led Aria to think that she would resort to writing to let out pent up emotions, just like both of her parents did.

"Because I haven't been there in a very long time." Aria finally answered.

"Why not?"

The young mother's eyes got faraway again. "I don't know Sadie. I don't know."

They waited in silence until the train doors opened and they both stepped on and got seated. Aria's anticipation kept building as the minute hand made its way around the clock.

The train doors slid shut quietly and the conductor said a few things about the stops and then Aria felt the train lurch forward as they made their way westward towards Pennsylvania.

Aria pulled Sadie closer to her side and couldn't stop the smile that crept onto her face. In a matter of hours they would be in Rosewood. She didn't have an exact plan about what would happen when and who she would visit on which day, but she was going home and that's all that mattered to her at the moment.

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Aria couldn't help but agree. She left Rosewood three years ago, but Rosewood never left her. It would always be a part of her and being gone only made her longing for home stronger. It was her safe place despite all that had happened and she wanted the same thing for her daughter.

It only took twenty minutes for Sadie to fall asleep, her little head lying against Aria's chest. The young mother gently stroked her daughters hair both to help her sleep better and to calm herself down. Eventually the gentle rise and fall of Sadie's chest helped lull Aria into a light sleep, that last thing she thought about before she slipped into dreamland were the same three words that hadn't left her mind since she ran into Melissa.

They were going home.

* * *

**This chapter is almost twice as long as the last one, but that's okay. Aria and Sadie are going home! In this chapter I really tried to capture Aria's feelings about returning to Rosewood after being gone for so long. I wanted to show how much she missed it and everyone that was associated. But anyways, please review and let me know what you think:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**~What Once Was Lost~**

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**FYI: Melissa will not turn bad, there will be no surprise return of A, and all of the girls are home for the summer after having just finished their college semesters. Just to clarify a few things because some of you had questions. And, as far as I know, Rosewood doesn't have a train station but I'm just going to pretend like it does:)**

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The train slowed until it reached a complete stop. Whereas in New York the train car was quite full almost to the standing point, now it consisted of only three people: Aria, Sadie, and an older woman who was sitting in a position where Aria could only see the back of her head.

She had spent the last twenty minutes staring out of the window, eagerly watching as familiar things came into view. As a young family, they had driven this road numerous times on their way to Philadelphia. The last time she was on it was when she took the bus out of the city that night three years ago, but she still remembered how everything looked.

Sadie had woken up around the same time as Aria and was staring out the window as well. Sadie was born and raised in New York City; she had never really seen the amount of outdoors that was flying by their window. Come to think of it, the only greenery she had ever really seen was in their occasional trips to Central Park.

Aria's feelings of nervousness flared as she saw the outskirts of Rosewood creep into view. The feeling of almost being home after being gone for so long was indescribable, in a good way.

The train doors opened with a ding and Aria quickly jumped up, grabbing Sadie's hand and the small about of luggage they had brought with them. "Are you ready?" Aria asked the toddler who nodded her little head and together they stepped onto the sidewalk of Rosewood, Pennsylvania.

The woman who was the only other passenger got off behind them. No one was waiting to get on so the train closed its doors and went to start its rounds over again.

Aria turned around slowly, taking in everything there was to see. Sadie followed her mother's example but much faster. That caused her to lose balance and fall on her bottom.

The older woman was there in a flash, offering her a hand and helping the child get onto her feet again. When the lady looked up with her blue, almost green, eyes, Aria had a vague feeling that she had seen the person before but she couldn't remember where from. "Sadie, what do you say?" she asked her daughter who looked up at her with questioning blue eyes.

After a second, Aria saw the light bulb turn on and the two year old turned to the woman. "Thank you."

"It's no problem. Your daughter is adorable," the woman gushed in a slightly western accent, addressing Aria but looking at Sadie. "She's cuter than a cherry pie."

Again Aria felt like she should know this person, but she couldn't recall why. "Thanks. She's a lot of fun."

The lady turned to face Aria, her blondish white hair bouncing as she did so. "You better tell her daddy to take good care of her and of you or you can tell him that Regina will be at his doorstep with a fist ready."

"Will do." Aria was a little surprised at the woman's bold language. She certainly wasn't shy.

"I've better get going. I just came in from Cincinnati and I really need to find a little lady's room." The woman excused herself then pulled out her phone and called someone to pick her up.

_Alrighty then._ Aria thought as she watched Regina for a moment. But then Sadie tugged on her hand. "Can we go, momma?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

From what Aria understood, Spencer's house was a mile away from the station which wouldn't be that bad to walk. It would allow her to see some more of Rosewood with a less likely chance of running into anyone. She wanted to talk to Spencer and the rest of the girls before anyone else saw her. She also figured that it would be best if her mother found out that she was back from her and not from the small talk that was so prevalent in the small town.

As they took off in the direction of Spencer's house, Regina called out. "It was so nice to see you again, Aria. Your child is a doll."

The woman obviously knew her, but she still couldn't remember when they had ever associated. It wasn't that big of a deal though, so she just turned back and said, "Thanks. It was good seeing you too."

They went their separate ways, and Sadie held tight to Aria's hand as she looked around at the differences between here and what she had grown up in. "There's so many trees," she commented after a minute a walking.

Aria smiled, "Yes, there are. Do you like them?"

"Mm-hmm."

They continued on their way, both lost in their own thoughts. From the outskirts, it looked just like the Rosewood she had left three years prior. There were the same houses, the same dirt driveways, and the same junky cars. It was as if she had never left, but she suspected that once she got into the heart of the city the story might be different.

"Why is it so quiet?" Sadie asked after a stretch of silence. The only sounds were the chirping of the birds in the trees and the occasional sound of a car as it passed.

"Because this is a small town. There aren't as many people and there aren't as many cars." Aria explained. She loved the quiet and the serenity that was found there. She had grown so accustomed to the honking and the yelling and all of the other sounds that were just as much a part of New York as Lady Liberty was. Being here without all of the angry taxi drivers and the business people on their cell phones was almost surreal.

The two kept walking, only stopping once so that Aria could retie Sadie's shoe laces. From two blocks down Aria could see that house that her long-time best friend now owned. She didn't need an address to know which one was hers.

The house had three floors and was almost twice the size of the surrounding houses. Everything about it seemed sharp and precise and very aesthetically pleasing, just like Spencer would have wanted it to be. Through the thick trees, she couldn't see much of the backyard, but it looked as if it was a decent size. And, of course, it was only a summer home for her to stay at when college got out for the year. The Hastings girls had always been more than a little spoiled, although Spencer tried hard not to show it.

A car approaching on the street slowed as the driver saw the woman and the child on the sidewalk. Aria instantly pulled on her hood and quickened her pace, passing the car without looking to see who was behind the wheel. She knew that soon everyone would know about her return, but it couldn't happen yet. If word got around before Aria was able to, that wouldn't be good for anyone. The stories about Sadie would be countless and most likely horrific and very scandalous.

The car stayed stationary for a while and then eventually continued down the street. Aria had a feeling that they were still watching them in the rear-view mirror though.

"Why did we go faster?" Sadie asked once the car was completely out of sight.

"Because I'm excited to see my friend." She didn't hurry because of that reason, but what she said was still true.

Soon the house was right in front of them. An iron gate without a lock blocked the entrance to the sidewalk and Aria let go of Sadie's hand to undo the latch before retaking her daughter's tiny hand. Taking a deep breath, Aria continued to the front door.

Standing in front of the door was a scary thing. She didn't know what kind of reception she would receive from Spencer. They were most likely all a little mad at her for staying gone and for staying quiet for so long. What if she didn't want Aria to come in? What if she had been replaced by some other girl in their group of five? But then the reasonable side of her argued back saying that they were team Sparia and nothing could come between that.

"Can we go inside? I'm hungry." Sadie asked once they had been standing in front of the door for a while.

This was enough to pull Aria out of her thoughts and gave her the courage to lift up her hand and knock three times on the dense wooden door.

Waiting for an answer was suspense like nothing Aria had ever felt before. She found herself tapping her foot and biting her lip while playing with Sadie's hair. _It's going to be fine. It's going to be fine. This shouldn't be this nerve-wracking. _Aria kept telling herself in her mind, trying to make her heart believe it as well.

Footsteps could be heard inside of the door. Aria could almost see Spencer reaching for the handle and turning it. And then the door was open and Aria was face to face with her friend that she had missed for so long.

Spencer's eyes widened as she saw who was on her front porch. "Oh my gosh, Aria," she said in almost a whisper.

The two just stared at each other, neither capable of finding words to express what they were feeling. Finally Spencer just came out and wrapped her arms around Aria who did the same in return. Aria's hazel eyes got misty as they were filled with tears.

Spencer was having a very similar reaction. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes as well and she wiped at them quickly with one hand. "I missed you so much," she said, her voice a little shaky.

Aria pulled back and smiled. "I missed you too Spence." Aria knew that returning to Rosewood would bring some emotions, but what she imagined wasn't even comparable to what she was feeling.

"And you're okay. Thank goodness." Spencer looked her up and down. She still couldn't believe that the tiny brunette was back, and this time with another tiny brunette. "Is this your daughter?"

Aria nodded, still too emotional to speak.

Spencer crouched down until she was eye level with the younger version of Aria. "Hi."

Sadie grabbed onto Aria's shirt and hid behind her legs, barely peeking her head out enough to see Spencer. "Hi," she said quietly.

"What's your name?"

"Sadie."

Spencer smiled and looked up at Aria. "She's amazing."

"I know." Aria managed to get out.

The taller brunette stood up. "Please, come inside."

Aria nodded and followed Spencer into the living room. Sadie walked behind them with wide eyes as she took in the lavish furniture and decorations that adorned the walls.

Spencer gestured for them to take a seat on the leather couches. "Really, just make yourself at home."

Aria tentatively sat on the edge of a cushion so she wouldn't mess up the perfectly arranged pillows. Sadie did likewise, still a little cautious about the new place.

There was so much to be said and so many questions to be asked that neither of them knew where to start. The silence stretched on until they heard Sadie's stomach growl.

"Oh, wow. I'm such a terrible host. Of course you would be hungry. Why don't we move this to the kitchen and I'll see what I can find in the fridge." Spencer stood up and led them to the large kitchen. She opened the doors to the fridge. "What does she like?"

"She really will eat anything besides for green beans. Whatever you have is fine."

"Come here, Sadie. You can choose what you want."

At the mention of food the two year old shed her shyness and went over to where Spencer stood. She allowed Spencer to pick her up and listened intently as she pointed out the options. Aria smiled as she watched the two. She had no idea why she had been so scared beforehand. Spencer was still Spencer and she was still Aria and they would forever be team Sparia.

After quite a bit deliberation, Sadie settled with chicken noodle soup. Spencer set her down on a bar stool and pulled out a bowl and a spoon. "Do you want anything Aria?"

"Not right now. I'll probably get something later if that's alright with you."

Spencer immediately nodded, "Of course. What made you decide to come back?"

Aria leaned her elbows onto the granite countertop and placed her chin on her hand. "Melissa did."

Those words made Spencer stop dead in her tracks. She slowly turned around and looked at Aria with one eyebrow raised. "Melissa? You were communicating with my older sister?"

Aria smiled, "The only person I ever talked to after leaving Rosewood was you. No, she ran into me while I was working. She told me that A hadn't bothered you in almost a year and then she took me to dinner and met Sadie. She gave me train tickets and $300."

Spencer's mind was reeling. Melissa was the reason that she came home. The sibling's had finally gotten over their rivalry, but Spencer was still cautious around her. Hearing what she did for Aria amazed her. Maybe Melissa really had changed.

"She gave me your address, and we came straight here after getting off of the train. I'm sorry for intruding like this, but-"

Spencer cut her off quickly, "You're fine. I still can't believe you're back."

Aria was about to reply but then stopped when someone started pounding on Spencer's door. The two made eye contact and Spencer just shrugged. "I'll be back in a second."

Aria nodded and turned to watch Sadie who was struggling to get a noodle onto her spoon. It kept sliding off of like a snake and her eyebrows were furrowed as she tried very hard to get it to her mouth without using her fingers. Aria smiled and gently took the spoon and helped her get it.

Spencer walked to the door and pulled it part way open to find a very agitated blonde and a more reasonable brunette.

"Is she here?" Hanna asked without mentioning what 'she' she was referring to.

"Whoa, Hanna. Slow down. Is who here?" Spencer wondered. Surely she couldn't be talking about Aria since she had just arrived and Hanna wouldn't know that.

Just then another car pulled up and Alison climbed out and quickly joined them on the porch.

"Well is she?" Hanna persisted, still not clarifying.

"What is she talking about?" Spencer asked Emily who had until that point stood silently.

"Hanna's texted us all and said that her grandmother had been at the train station and seen-" Emily stopped talking as Aria walked around the corner and pulled the door open wider so that she could see her other three best friends.

"Aria!" Hanna squealed, running past Spencer and encasing her long lost friend in her arms. She was followed by Ali and Emily who joined in until Aria was getting squeezed so tightly that she could hardly breathe.

Sadie came around the corner and walked over to Spencer who picked her up. The two watched the reunion, one with a smile and one with a slightly horrified look as she watched the unknown people smother her mom.

Emily was the first one to recognize Aria's need for air and she pulled back. Hanna and Ali followed her lead.

"Where in the world have you been?!" Hanna half asked half yelled. Aria didn't think she was angry, just surprised.

"How are you?" Emily asked right after Hanna got her question out.

Those two questions were instantly followed by Ali. "Aria, you have some explaining to do. You were missing for longer than I was. Why didn't you call?"

Aria looked between her friends as they kept throwing question after question at her without giving her time to answer any of them. She finally just blocked their questions out and looked to Spencer for help.

"Guys, slow down." Spencer said which temporarily took their attention from Aria.

Hanna glanced at Spencer only briefly before turning back to Aria. She opened her mouth to say something else but then quickly turned back to Spencer as her mind processed what she had seen. "Who is that?" she asked, pointing to Sadie.

Sadie saw that all eyes were on her, so she instantly buried her face in Spencer's shoulder.

The three new comers stared at the child in shock, looking between her and Aria who was still a little overwhelmed from the suddenness of everything that had transpired. "Surprise," she finally said with a small smile.

The tension in the room was almost palpable, almost like you could cut it with a knife. Spencer watched her friends' reactions with amusement. Emily's eyes were wide and she was too stunned to speak. Hanna's mouth was hanging open. Ali however didn't seem that surprised. They all knew that there was no way that that child wasn't Aria's. The resemblance was uncanny.

Spencer gestured to the couches in the living room. "Why don't you guys sit down? We sort of have a lot to talk about."

Aria took Sadie from Spencer. "I'm going to go help her finish her dinner really quickly."

The two slipped into the kitchen where Aria could finally breathe again. It was good to see them, but all at once and them seeing Sadie was kind of a lot. Spencer followed her in.

"That escalated quickly." Spencer sighed, sitting next to Aria on the barstools. "How are you?"

"I'll be honest and say that I'm a little overwhelmed. In a good way."

"I could tell them to come back tomorrow if you don't want to talk right now. I think they'd understand," Spencer offered.

Aria instantly shook her head. "No, it's okay. I just needed a chance to catch my breath." She had so many things running through her head, most of which were how she was going to explain what happened.

Sadie finished the food quickly with the occasional assistance of Aria or Spencer, whichever one had been paying attention at the moment. Spencer stood and placed the dishes in the sink. "Are you ready?"

Both Montgomery girls nodded and stood up. Sadie lifted her arms up and Aria picked her up.

When they returned to the living room they found the three girls all sitting together on the largest couch. Hanna and Emily were whispering about something and Ali was leaned back flipping through a magazine that had been lying on the coffee table.

Aria took her seat in a cushioned chair and swung Sadie around so that she was sitting on her lap. Spencer sat on a different couch and they all looked expectantly at Aria who didn't know what to say.

"You know, it's totally not fair," Hanna finally said. All of the girls looked at her in confusion. "What? She gets to fall off of the map for three years and she randomly reappears with a gorgeous little girl. Seriously, can I just leave? I think it should be my turn to go MIA for a while. And then it can be Spencer and then Emily."

"Umm, I think I'll pass," Spencer said.

Aria smiled, still trying to tell whether the blonde was serious. She didn't realize how much she had missed Hanna's comments. "It's really not as fun as it might sound."

Ali instantly agreed. She knew what it was like to want to go home but not being able to for various reasons. If anyone could relate to Aria's situation, it was Ali.

"Maybe you should just start from the beginning and go from there," Spencer encouraged.

Emily shook her head. "First of all you need to introduce us to that little girl over there. Not all of us have inside information like you obviously do."

"Why did you come here first? I mean, you could have at least texted us or told us you were back because we've _all_ been looking for you," Hanna pouted.

"I came here because I only had Spencer's address and I didn't text you guys because I don't have any of your numbers," Aria shrugged.

Emily wrinkled her eyebrows, "How did you have Spencer's address?" Then she turned to Spencer, "You've known where she was the whole time, haven't you?"

Spencer reared back a little bit at Emily's accusatory words.

Aria jumped in so that Spencer wouldn't get her head chewed off. "I called Spence three weeks after I left and told her where I was and why I was there. She told me to come home, and I was going to but then I found out that I was pregnant and I didn't dare risk it. I told her about the game-changer and she still tried to get me to come home, but I wouldn't. I told her that I was going to New York and begged her not to tell anyone. And she didn't."

"Wait, so that little girl is your daughter? You're a mom?!" Hanna exclaimed. Sometimes she took one minor detail out of a major story and blew it up. Sometimes was more like always.

"Where have you been Hanna?" Spencer asked.

Emily cut back in. "Why didn't you call the rest of us? We were all worried sick."

Aria opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by Hanna. "So she is your daughter? Like you delivered her and gave her life and have helped her grow up?"

Ali rolled her eyes. "That's what being a mother means, Hanna."

Again Emily tried to ask Aria a serious question but was cut off by Hanna's impertinent curiosity. "Was she planned or was it a slip up?"

"Hanna!" both Emily and Spencer yelled at the same time.

Aria's eyebrows shot up and she pulled Sadie closer to her chest. "I definitely wouldn't call her a slip-up, Hanna."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that. But how was pregnancy? Were you all hormonal and stuff?"

"Yeah, that kind of is what happens when you're pregnant Han." Aria replied, still wondering why she was receiving this interrogation.

"Were you scared? Like when she was just born?"

The other three girls stayed quiet knowing that the blonde wouldn't stop until she was satisfied.

"A little, yeah." Aria answered. Hanna was being strangely focused on a topic that didn't really concern her, but… Aria stopped that thought as she realized that maybe it did concern her. Melissa had said that she had gotten married about a year ago. Maybe Hanna had a secret of her own. "Hanna, you can ask me all of the questions you want to about how it is to carry a child, but let's do it later, alright?"

Hanna nodded. "Okay, but I'm going to take you up on that."

As soon as Hanna said that, Emily started with her questions. "Why didn't you tell us what was going on?"

Alison smirked, "You forgot to ask what her name is again, Em."

"Well if Hanna didn't have so many questions Aria would have answered mine and I wouldn't have forgotten," Emily said, glancing at Hanna who just shrugged. Emily moved her gaze from Hanna to Aria. "What's her name?"

"Guys this is Sadie, Sadie these are my friends," she gestured to each of them in turn and told her their names. Sadie watched and listened but didn't say anything. Once the introductions were over Sadie laid her head back down on her mother's shoulder.

"Aria, she's beautiful," Emily gushed, her mind temporarily distracted from the other situation.

Hanna and Spencer agreed immediately.

"She's Ezra's, isn't she?" Ali said, not taking her gaze off of the toddler's blue eyes.

Aria nodded slowly.

"Oh my gosh! You had Mr. Fitz's baby!" Hanna exclaimed. "Can you imagine what would happen if Hackett had found out about the child? He would go totally-"

"Hanna. Now is not the time. Seriously, I wish I knew where my duct tape was located right now because I would totally put it to good use," Spencer cut in.

Emily ignored the comments from Hanna and kept watching Aria. "Why don't you just start at the beginning?"

* * *

"Mommy, do you like it here?" Sadie asked as Aria was tucking her into the bed next to her. Spencer insisted on buying a smaller bed specifically for Sadie and had ordered it online but it wouldn't be there for a few days so until then the two were sharing a bed.

"I love it here. What about you?" Aria was laying on her side where she could barely see her daughters still form in the moonlight that filtered through the windows of Spencer's third floor.

"I like Spencer," Sadie said almost right away.

Aria smiled. "I like Spencer, too. What about Hanna and Emily and Ali? Do you like them?"

When the three and Sadie were first introduced, Sadie wouldn't as much as glance at them. By the time that Aria had recounted her experiences, Sadie would finally acknowledge them when they said her name which was a step in the right direction.

Why she had taken to both Spencer and Melissa as quickly as she had still surprised Aria. She must just have a thing for Hastings.

"They're nice," Sadie said through a wide yawn that she brought her little hand up to cover. She pulled the blankets more tightly around her shoulders and readjusted her position on the pillow, her eyelids slowly sagging.

"I love you, Sadie. Goodnight." Aria gently kissed her forehead.

"Night, Mommy. Sleep good." In a matter of seconds her breathing became slow and even indicating that she really was asleep.

That left Aria to her thoughts which could sometimes be a very scary thing. She stared up at the ceiling, contemplated the events of the day.

They had left New York and said their goodbyes to Hunter and Peyton. They had rode the train and tried to find birds in the skies. They had been reconnected with all of her friends. She was going to fall asleep in Rosewood.

When she had left three years prior, Aria hadn't the slightest idea how things would turn out, but she had decided and told herself that it would all fall into place in the right time with the right people. She still believed that and had witnessed it countless times in her life.

Though she hadn't thought through what would happen tomorrow, she was able to look back on today and smile which didn't happen all too often. It would all be okay.

Aria felt the events of the day start to catch up to her and she found it difficult to keep her eyes open any longer. Her thought process was slowing and becoming less coherent. It was time to call it a day.

The sleep finally took control and led her to the deepest kind of sleep you get, the kind of sleep you get when you are home.

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**I hope you guys liked this chapter. It was fun writing that part with all of the girls and getting to see what each of them thought about Aria being back. Next chapter there will be a little Ezria, so please read and review and tell me what you think:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**What Once Was Lost**

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**I know that this is late and I'm sorry. I've had basketball tournaments and preparing piano pieces to play for my great-grandma's funeral and internet/computer problems so it's been kind of crazy. I'll try to get them updated on time from now on. Here's chapter 4 so please read/review/enjoy!**

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The sun slowly ascended from behind the eastern horizon casting a golden glow on the surrounding town and chasing the darkness away. This morning was just like any other morning. The sun would rise and then slowly trek across the sky where it would set and start its journey over again. They would have the same twenty-four hours with which to do whatever they pleased. And though it was the same sun that she had seen the previous morning, it was completely different. They were in Rosewood.

Aria stood next to the window in the third floor bedroom that Spencer had leant them. Since becoming a mother she was used to rising in the early hours of the morning. Even though Sadie was no longer a baby that woke every couple of hours, Aria still was up at the first sign of light from the sun.

Yesterday she had been in their apartment for the last time and watched the sun rise. Today she was in Rosewood witnessing the same event. However, the difference between the two was extreme. In New York, the day stopped and started in the same way: with commuting workers and honking horns. In Rosewood, the mornings were peaceful and quiet and serene. She marveled at the calm scene portrayed outside of her window.

Sadie stirred on the bed and Aria turned around. The two year old sat up and yawned. Without a second thought she reached for her blanket and bunny that had been her companions since the day that she was born. She went to get off of the bed as was her habitual next step but she fell to the floor and disappeared from Aria's view since she was on the other side. Her bed in New York was small enough for her to step off of but this one was taller than her little body.

Aria climbed onto the bed and looked over the edge, "What are you doing on the floor? I thought you were supposed to sleep in a bed."

Sadie looked up at her with tear-filled blue eyes, with Ezra's tear-filled blue eyes. "I fell, mommy."

"Why'd you do that?" Aria asked with a puzzled expression.

She lifted her shoulders up and down. "Can you hold me?"

Aria smiled, "Of course I can." She climbed off of the other side of the bed and picked her up. "Should we go downstairs and find Spencer?"

Sadie nodded, "And we should find Hunter and Peyton."

"Hunter and Peyton aren't here right now. They're in New York."

This confused the little girl. "And we're in…?"

"We're in Rosewood. But we can call Hunter or Peyton if you want."

Sadie instantly agreed and Aria set her on the bed while she went to unplug her charging phone. Both Hunter and Peyton's numbers were on her recently called list. "Who do you want to call? Hunter or Peyton?"

"Both."

After a moment Aria tapped Peyton's name. She was the sister that she never had and her wall to lean back on when she was struggling. The phone rang about five times before Peyton's voice came through from the other end. "Who are you and why are you calling me at this insane hour in the morning?"

"Peyton, you leave for work in twenty minutes," Aria rolled her eyes.

"Aria!" the other girl instantly lit up once she heard who had called. "You're alive! Where's my Sadie-bug? How are you? I miss you already! Where are you? Ugh just move back here." The questions came like bullets from a machine gun, one right after the other.

"Yes, here, fine, same, I can't."

"You missed the where are you question, but that was pretty good," Peyton said. In the background she could hear something sizzling like she was cooking bacon or something, which she probably was. Peyton had an unhealthy obsession with the fattening meat yet somehow none of that had caught up to her and she was still as skinny as ever.

Sadie took the phone from Aria and placed it to her ear. "When are you coming here?"

Peyton flipped the bacon over and smiled as she heard the voice of her theoretical niece. "Sadie-bug! I miss you a lot. Maybe I'll come visit today."

"I miss you too. My mommy won't let me eat candy as much as you do." Aria scoffed and Peyton laughed.

"That is a problem, isn't it?"

Sadie nodded even though Peyton couldn't see her. The two continued the conversation for about five minutes before Aria noticed Spencer who was standing in the doorway. "Sadie, it's time to say goodbye."

The two year old wrapped up the conversation quickly and did as her mother said. Aria secretly hoped that she would stay this compliant as she grew up, but if she was anything like her mother she would be quite the stubborn teenager. If she were like her father on the other hand there would be no problem.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Spencer said from her position at the door. "Breakfast is ready though. I made pancakes. I hope that that is okay."

"That's fine. Really, Spence. But you don't have to feed and shelter us. Once we get settled I'll find a place and get out of your hair."

There it was again. Aria received the Hastings' look. "You were MIA for three years, Aria. We all went crazy looking for you. Do you think that I'm going to turn you out?"

Aria just shrugged and stood up with Sadie on her hip, "I just don't want anyone to think that I'm incapable to provide for myself and for my daughter."

"I assure you that I don't. I have no doubt in your ability to be a mother and your ability to put a roof over your head," Spencer answered with a serious tone.

"Alright, as long as we're on the same page."

The three went downstairs to the kitchen where a stack of about fifteen pancakes was steaming on a plate. Butter, powdered sugar, syrup, whipped cream, and fruit were all arranged around the pancakes and plates and eating utensils were placed at each of the barstools. "I have a table but I broke the leg of it last week so it's currently getting fixed," Spencer apologized as they made their way across the tiled floor.

"How did you manage to do that?" Aria asked with one eyebrow raised.

By the way that Spencer smiled before answering Aria could tell that it was an enjoyable memory. "It was actually Hanna's fault. She somehow convinced Emily to go down these stairs on a mattress. She did and the mattress sort of flipped and hit my mom who was standing there and then she fell on the table and it broke."

"I thought you said that you broke the leg."

Spencer went around the island and started to dish a plate. "That's what my mom told me to say. It's less embarrassing if it's my fault."

Aria smiled. Her friends may have gotten older but they certainly hadn't matured. That wasn't a bad thing though. She missed the spontaneity that accompanied their outings.

"Sadie, do you like strawberries or syrup?" Spencer asked.

Sadie contemplated for a moment while slowly twisting her long, brown hair around her finger. "Strawberries."

"I can get her food, Spence. You don't have to."

"I know I don't have to. I want to. Not all of us have the pleasure of having the cutest daughter in the world."

Aria smiled. "She is pretty cute, isn't she?"

Spencer just nodded and slid Sadie's food across the island to her. She barely managed to stop it before it slid onto the edge. She was then handed a fork and a glass of milk. "Aria, have whatever you like. I'm really not going to be able to stomach thirteen pancakes. And you didn't eat anything last night."

Aria finally relented to her friend's hospitality and fixed herself a plate. They began eating in silence; the only sound was the occasional scratching of the forks against the glass plates and the birds outside. That didn't bother Aria though; her mind was completely elsewhere. On Ezra to be exact.

All of her questions about everyone had been answered in the previous week either by Melissa or by Spencer, Emily, Ali, or Hanna except for the ones that she was dying the most to ask. Where was he? Is he okay? Is he married? What if he's moved on? And by 'he' she meant Ezra; that was the only 'he' she ever thought about.

She was dying to ask Spencer but she was afraid of the answer. She could either stay in the dark and not know and be relieved from the pain that could accompany the answer or she could ask and risk heartbreak over what Spencer replied with. There were pros and cons to both but eventually her curiosity won over.

"Spencer, what's Ezra's situation?" Aria didn't look up from her breakfast but started pushing the pancakes around with her fork.

Spencer took a second to answer. She knew that her friend was dying to know and was surprised with the willpower it must have taken to wait this long to ask. "After you left he kept in touch with us to see if we heard from you. He used every resource he could to try to locate you. You leaving really crushed him and not knowing why only enhanced that."

Those words stabbed Aria in the heart. She knew that leaving would hurt him but hearing it said out loud reopened the wound that she had taken so long to close. "But he's okay?"

"Yeah. He's still teaching at Rosewood High. He's not married. He doesn't have any other surprise kids, well except for her." She gestured towards Sadie who was listening intently to the conversation.

Aria's mind was still spinning, applying what Spencer said into the story that she had made up. In a way she wished that he had moved on. She had left him hanging for three years and still was. She didn't tell him that she was okay. She didn't get to say goodbye or I love you one last time. She didn't call him when she found out that she was pregnant or when their daughter was born. If he had moved on and continued with his life, sure it would break Aria's heart but it would also relieve some of the guilt.

"Spencer, why did I get myself into such a big mess? This isn't fair for anyone. It's not fair for you. It's not fair for me. It's not fair for Ezra, and it's certainly not fair for Sadie."

Spencer reached out and placed a hand on Aria's shoulder. "You listen and you listen well: You did what had to be done to keep your daughter safe. It wasn't a selfish act to stay away, it was the complete opposite. You weren't thinking about yourself when you made the decision to stay in New York. You were thinking about everyone else and the effects that it could have on them. Stop beating yourself up because it won't solve any of your problems, Aria."

"I know," she finally relented and then turned her attention back to her breakfast. "If you disappeared for three years and then suddenly came back home, how would you tell your mother? Do I just show up at her door? Wait, I don't actually know where she lives."

"Your mom put off her wedding when you disappeared but I think she lives with Zach but I don't know where. And I saw your dad at the Rosewood Grille a couple of nights ago and he was leaving for a two-week seminar in Boston so he won't be here for a while. But if you really want to go see your mom…"

* * *

It took Aria three days since returning home before she finally took Spencer's advice and went to see her mother. She had stayed low-key for that amount of time and communicated only with her four friends. She had asked them to keep quiet and Hanna told her grandmother to do the same.

But it was time. Aria could try to push it back even further but it was time. She was ready to see her mom again.

As she turned off of the road and entered the parking lot, the butterflies in her stomach flared. Actually, come to think of it, Aria was pretty sure that the butterflies were on steroids.

She forced herself to take a deep breath as she parked Spencer's car and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Sadie had stayed at Spencer's so she didn't have her to take care of at the current moment. It was just her and her steroidal butterflies.

This place looked exactly like it did three years previously. A few kids sat on the outdoor tables. Some stood in groups watching something on a phone or laughing about a student's outfit. Typical high-schoolers.

Aria attracted many of their attentions as she walked up the steps to the front door of Rosewood High School. Some whispered and pointed. Others stared her down hard core. Some covered their mouths. Most appeared to know about her, or at least of her, but Aria wasn't surprised. Rosewood was a small town and gossip spread like wildfires.

The closer she got to the front doors the stronger her desire to turn back was. Mentally Aria scolded herself for being so scared. She was strong enough to do this.

Once she went through the doors the high-schoolers went on with their conversations as if nothing had happened. They were most likely talking about summer plans because from what Spencer had said this was the last week of school.

It was a crazy thought that just three years ago she had been one of them, sitting at those tables with her friends and worrying about boys or A or whatever family drama was currently going on. It seemed like it was so long ago because so much had happened since then, with one of the main happenings being Sadie.

Walking through the halls of Rosewood High was like walking down memory lane. She didn't have to stop and ask for directions because she knew this place like the back of her hand. No matter what direction she looked she saw a memory. To the left was her freshman locker. To the right was the trophy cases filled with Emily's numerous swimming trophies. Ahead was the science lab where she had taken Chemistry and almost exploded the whole classroom. She just passed the vending machine that had kept her alive on those long days when she just needed sugar.

The deeper she got into the school, the harder it was too breathe. The memories became more intense and vivid, mainly because Mr. Fitz's English classroom was just around the corner. She had made the resolution before arriving that she wouldn't even allow herself to look through the window on the door. She would turn the other way and walk briskly by which is what she did.

The cafeteria was crowded with kids. It was louder than a county fair and smelled like one as well. Some things never changed like the lunch ladies inability to actually cook lunch. From their respective tables the jocks and the nerds and the cheerleaders all turned to watch her as she walked past to her mom's classroom. She was almost to the door before she actually got stopped by someone.

"Look who's home and alive. Wow. I'll be honest and say that we all thought that you got pregnant and skipped town. Everyone knew that you had a thing for older men, especially one's with teaching degrees."

Aria looked up at the boy with surprise. After a minute she finally realized who it was. "Conner, shouldn't you be graduated or something? I thought that you were in Mike's grade.

"Why should you care? You're too cool for anyone that doesn't wear a tie or a vest to school every day. So who was it this time since it wasn't Fitz? Did you run off with some math teacher or something?"

The fact that Conner was still upset and angry about something that happened over three years ago amazed Aria. And she wasn't the one who instigated the whole dilemma; he was. He was the one who spread the rumor about her being a slut and hooking up with him. She hurt his ego and in high school an ego is all a guy has.

"Something like that," Aria agreed and went to step around him. She wasn't in the mood to argue with a teenage boy right now.

He stepped in the same direction so that she couldn't get past. In the years since Aria left he had grown probably six inches taller and now towered over her. She wasn't really one to get intimidated by tall people, though; she was used to it.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked with one eyebrow raised. Some people in the surrounding halls gathered around to watch the confrontation.

He saw another opportunity to throw in a comment about her love interests and he took it. "Do you even know how? You never went to any of them because your boyfriends were always _illegal_." Some of his friends behind him laughed but Aria wasn't amused.

"You are making things up based on rumors. And I can do the same. Based on the rumors I've heard about you I should just go around telling everyone that you're too busy fixing your wounded ego to pass English and move on with your life," Aria said, ignoring the surrounding crowd. "But wait, that's not a rumor. It's real and happening and quite pathetic. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do with my life than to argue with an adult who can't graduate from high school."

Conner glared at her one last time before pushing through the people and disappearing around a corner. Aria watched him until she was gone then looked around at the gawking crowd and slightly shook her head. These people needed better things to do with their lives.

They cleared a path to her mom's English room and watched her as she walked in. Down the hall Principal Hackett appeared and started dismissing the gathering. Before he saw her she slipped quietly into the room and slowly shut the door behind her before turning to her mother's desk which was in the same position as it was when she left.

Whatever Ella Montgomery was reading was so entrancing that she didn't even notice when her missing daughter walked in at the other end of the room. Aria didn't really mind, though; it gave her an opportunity to look her over.

Her mom's hair was the same chocolate brown as it had always been. Today it was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail probably to keep it out of her eyes as she graded papers. The shirt she was wearing was bright and springy and made her look slightly younger than she actually was. She was also wearing a pair of glasses that were a new accessory.

The room set up was similar to how it had been when Aria was a student there. The tables were in the same direction but the posters on the wall were updated. The black board was now a white board which was a good improvement. The screeching of chalk on the black board was always one of her mother's pet peeves.

Aria didn't know what to say. She could just say hey, I know I've been gone for three years and I haven't contacted anyone or anything but I'm back now and I really want lunch. That option was vetoed as soon as it crossed her mind. Her next thought was: Hey, mom. Guess what? You're a grandma now! Bet you didn't see that coming. That option was vetoed even faster than the other. Why was this so hard?

If she made a sound though and her mother looked up then she wouldn't have to initiate the conversation.

Aria was comparing her options when her phone made the decision for her by ringing. Her hazel eyes flew wide open and she quickly pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. Hanna. Her timing was impeccable at the most inconvenient times. Aria quickly shut it off and looked up.

Her eyes met Ella's and for a moment the world stood still. The noises in the hallways were blurred into the background as the two continued to look at each other.

Ella opened her mouth as if to say something, but she couldn't find any words. When her mouth failed to communicate her feelings she resorted to slowly standing up and setting the red pen on the stack of papers she had been immersed in.

Aria finally broke the gaze and glanced around the room. "I love what you've done with the place," she said after the silence had stretched out for way longer than was necessary.

This pulled Ella back into the present, "Aria. Is that really you?" It was somewhat of a cliché thing to say, but a legitimate question. She had dreamed of reuniting with her daughter, and now that it was happening she didn't know what to do.

"Yup."

"Where were you? Are you okay? What happened? Why did you leave? What's been going on? Why didn't you call?"

In the few reunions she'd had since returning to Rosewood, Aria had learned a couple of things about them. They were normally preceded by long, awkward stares. Often time the other person would start with saying her name quietly almost like a whisper. After that there would be a long line of questions that came more rapidly than she was capable of answering them. So far this had remained true and she suspected that it would stay that way when she saw her dad and Mike.

"I had to leave. It wasn't safe for me here. But now I'm back," she offered a small smile and then couldn't hold back anymore. Aria ran to her mother who met her half-way and threw her arms around her neck. "I'm home, momma."

Ella pulled her only daughter closer to her and buried her face in her hair. Her eyes became misty as they filled up with tears. "Yes, you are."

Aria's tears were already flowing down her cheeks. "I missed you, mom. So much. I'm sorry for staying away. I'm sorry."

At that moment Ella wasn't concerned about where Aria had been or what she had been doing or why she had stayed gone. Those questions would resurface later. Right now she just knew that her daughter was alive and safe and in her arms. "Shh, Aria. You're okay."

The two held each other tightly for a few minutes, neither having words nor needing them.

After a while Aria finally pulled back and wiped at her cheeks, silently thanking the world for waterproof mascara, "I have so much to tell you."

"I'm sure you do," Ella smiled.

"I think you should sit down though," Aria said. She figured that the first matter mentioned should be the fact that her mom was now a grandma. And telling that piece of news would open the gates for the rest of the conversation and hopefully help explain some of her actions.

Ella knew that whatever Aria had to say was big if it required her to be seated, but she complied and braced herself for whatever Aria's news was.

Aria paced along the front of the room for a moment before blurting, "You're a grandmother."

Ella was actually extremely thankful that she was sitting down. She gripped the edge of the desk and let her gaze go to the floor where she saw Aria's neon shoes walk back and forth numerous times as she continued her pacing. Her mind slowly processed that sentence. Once it had sunk in she looked up again.

"You're a mother?"

Aria stopped walking and turned to see her mom's reaction. "Yes, to a beautiful little girl who's two and is everything I ever wanted in a child. Her name is Sadie and she's the sweetest little girl who means the world to me and who is the reason I couldn't come home. It just wasn't safe for her and I didn't want her to get hurt and so she was raised in New York and that's where we've been for the past three years and-"

She was cut off by her mother who once again wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Aria, I'm so happy for you. A little surprised and confused, but still so happy."

Aria's eyes filled up with tears again, "You are?" She had expected her mother to be angry or to bombard her with a bazillion questions. To have her react in such a calm and collected and happy way meant a lot to her.

"Of course I am. I'm just sort of curious about the father of my grandchild."

Aria pulled out of her mother's grasp and sat on top of a desk. "Mom, who do you think it is?"

Her mom took her daughter's lead and sat on a desk across from her. "Well, my guess would be Ezra, but I just wanted to make sure."

"You think that I would just let a random person do that to me? Really? Who do you think I am?"

Her mom backed down a little. "Wow, calm down. I wasn't suggesting anything. But when can I meet this daughter of yours?"

Aria shrugged, "We're not very busy." Her phone vibrated again and she pulled it out of her pocket wondering if it was Spencer and Sadie needed something. She found three missed phone calls and two text messages all from Hanna. She opened the texts. "Actually, I'm busy tomorrow. Apparently Hanna is taking us to Philly tomorrow for some shopping spree. But any other time this week would work."

"What if you come over for dinner on Saturday night? I'll text you my address. After you give me your number, of course."

Aria agreed and they exchanged numbers.

"Is Sadie allergic to anything? What does she like?"

"Sadie eats anything you give her except for green beans. She hates those."

Ella smiled, "Just like your father. Have you seen him yet?"

Aria shook her head. "I only got here a couple of days ago and Spencer said he's in Boston for some work trip."

"Oh, I hadn't heard." Ella shrugged. Even though they had separated quite a few years ago, it was still strange for them not to be together. As a child you just grow so accustomed to a certain way of life and when it changes it's hard. It's real and it happens, but it is still weird for those traditional things to change.

Ella was called to the office via the intercom and had to excuse herself. "I've got to go. The end of year stuff is crazy and I have to get final grades in and I'm supervising an end of year dance that's tomorrow night so I have a lot to do, but I will see you on Saturday."

Aria nodded and hugged her mom one more time before she left Aria alone in her classroom. Once she was gone Aria allowed herself to breathe again. She couldn't help the smile the crept onto her lips. Her life was finally coming together again.

She picked her phone up off of the desk where she had set it and went out of the door. The people in the halls hadn't really moved in the fifteen minutes that she had been in her mom's room. They briefly stopped whatever they were doing to watch her pass but she wasn't really surprised. Besides for being missing for three years, she was also wearing a very fluorescent outfit that would attract anyone's gaze. She ignored them and made her way back out of the building.

The hallway with Mr. Fitz's classroom was empty as she went through the opposite way. Though her mind argued that it really wasn't a smart idea to go look through the window on his door, her heart insisted upon it and Aria didn't object. She never was one to do what logistically made sense. It was always heart over head for her which is why she ever got involved with her English teacher in the first place.

She approached the door softly and looked through the window. After she was positive that no one was inside she turned the handle and let herself in. The door shut quietly behind her and she walked to the front of the room where she turned in a slow circle.

She could still see her senior AP English class in her head. Spencer sat in the front left corner. Emily sat a few seats back from her and then Aria sat kitty corner to her. Hanna sat over and down a seat. Aria could place each student in the correct seat and label exactly what they would be doing.

For example, Mona would have her little mirror out and would pretend to be reapplying her lip gloss when in actuality she was spying on the four of them through the reflection. The girl in front of Aria would be slouching in her seat and looking out of the window, completely bored with whatever book they were discussing. Across the room was a kid that would repeatedly click his pen just to drive others insane.

She walked over to her usual seat and sat down in it. This class was her all-time favorite class, but only partly because she loved literature. The other part was because she loved the man teaching it. She had learned so much in the class and it really opened her eyes to the characters and the reasons they acted the way that she did and the theme that the author was trying to get across. She loved that class and relished every second in it.

Aria missed the conversations and the discussions about various books such as To Kill a Mockingbird or Jekyll and Hyde or The Great Gatsby. She missed the looks her and her friends would exchange when they had something going on. She even missed the chalk squeaking on the black board as the teacher wrote excerpts or quotes from the book.

Most of all though she missed the man who taught the class. She missed seeing him in a tie and a vest and polished shoes. She missed watching him as he leaned against the desk and engaged the student's in a conversation. She missed their meetings about 'homework assignments' or 'makeup work.'

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she stared out of the window. She missed him.

* * *

Ezra Fitz had gone from being a college student to being a high school teacher in just a few weeks. Most people graduating with a teaching degree had to spend a year shadowing or assisting other teachers but he had skipped that step and went straight into the big league.

His reasons for applying as the new English teacher weren't exactly why most teachers applied. Normal people accepting a teaching position because they loved teaching or they were passionate about a subject. Though Ezra was both of those things, his reason for taking the job was so that he could observe/get to know four select students who were connected to a missing former flame.

Alison DiLaurentis had fascinated him from the first time. She was intriguing and secretive and that's what drew him to her. Those secrets were what led to her disappearance. As soon as he found out that she was missing, he couldn't let it go. He saw an opportunity to make a name for himself as a writer and he jumped at it. And that's what led him to meet Aria.

Falling for Aria Montgomery wasn't on his agenda anywhere, but it happened, and it happened fast. She was captivating in a way that Ali couldn't even compete with. Pursuing that relationship was one of the riskiest things that Ezra had ever done and lying to her about the whole Ali deal was the stupidest thing that he had ever done.

He had been so obsessed with Ali's story that he risked his future with Aria. It was the thing that he regretted most in his life.

And now Ali was back but Aria was gone.

A part of Ezra blamed himself for her disappearance. After the fact she said that she forgave him and she had moved past it but he had always had an inkling that she hadn't let it go. She never trusted him the same way that she had before and he didn't blame her. He deserved everything that came as a result of that night.

There were so many if's that ran through his head every day. And most of them made him hate himself even more. Not knowing what had befallen her and thinking that it was his fault killed him.

But this was his life and there wasn't much he could do to change it, no matter how hard he tried. She wasn't coming back.

Hearing his name in a nearby conversation pulled himself out of his thoughts. A small group of seniors were talking in hushed tones near the lockers outside of his classroom. He couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but somehow he was involved.

Once they saw him watching them they started talking quieter. Something was definitely up. The same thing had happened multiple times since after the lunch bell rang and it was especially bad with the older student's. He wasn't really in the mood to confront anyone about it though.

With a sigh he opened the door to his classroom and stepped in. The bell would ring soon signaling the end of lunch and he would have an hour to himself since it was his prep period. Before going further into the room he turned and locked the door behind him.

He walked to the desk and set his cup of water on it. His classroom used to be one of his favorite places but now it just signaled painful memories. Actually, painful memories could be found all over Rosewood which was why he was finally ready to leave and start a new job at a school in Virginia after summer was over. Tomorrow he would tell Hackett that he was finished for good with the Rosewood School District.

Ezra turned around to look at his classroom and only then did he notice that he was no longer alone. A girl with dark hair was sitting one row over from the window and looking out at the parking lot that was on the other side of the wall.

"Do you need help with something? I'd be happy to help with a homework question or reading assignment. Really, don't be scared to ask." he asked after the girl didn't acknowledge him in any way.

Hearing his voice had temporarily petrified Aria. She sat with wide eyes, not sure if she was ready to see him yet wanting so badly to jump into his arms and pull his lips down to meet hers. "I'm no longer you student, Mr. Fitz. I don't need help with homework. Thanks for offering, though." She turned around in the seat until she was facing him.

Now Ezra was the petrified one. That voice could only belong to one person and when she turned around his suspicions were confirmed. "Aria?"

"Hi," she smiled slightly and looked him over. He looked as handsome as ever. His shirt was tucked in nicely and the knot on his tie was straight. His pants were pleated and his shoes squeaky clean. His dark hair was a little longer than usual and Aria had the desire to run her hands through it as she had once done. His eyes were the same ones that she saw every time that she looked at her daughter, at their daughter.

Ezra blinked a couple of times to assure himself that she wasn't just a figment of his imagination. "Aria, you're here."

"Yeah, and so are you. I sort of thought that you would have left Rosewood by now. You always talked about it."

"I was going to leave in a couple of months to a new job in Virginia," he admitted as he took a few steps towards her.

She raised one eyebrow. "You said going to. That's past tense. What changed?"

"I walked into my classroom and you were sitting there," he answered honestly. "Where have you been?"

"New York."

He bit his lip, "Why?"

"It's a long story. A really long story," she shrugged. She could see that he was questioning whether to come closer or not. "Ezra, you can come sit by me. I don't bite."

Ezra did as she said and sat at the desk across from her. She almost regretted saying that though because being in this close of proximities with him was hard.

"Was it because of me?" he asked quietly, dreading the answer. He locked his gaze with hers and wouldn't let it go, not until he found out why she had left. The truth would be written in her eyes which was why he held on to them so tightly.

"No. I considered you when I made the decision, but it wasn't because of you." A weight was lifted off of his heart. "What about you? What's been going on?"

"I've been looking for you, teaching here, and looking for you some more. Aria, why didn't you call?" The way that he said her name pulled at her heart strings and increased her desire to be in his arms. Three years was way too long to be apart from someone you loved as deeply as Aria loved him.

"I couldn't. You don't understand. I wanted to so badly and it's killed me to not be able to communicate with anyone back home, but I couldn't. I just couldn't," she looked down at her hands that were folded on the desk.

Ezra's eyes softened and he reached out and lifted her head up so that she was looking at him again. That simple touch caused all of her nerves to go into overdrive. "You're right, I don't understand, but I want to. Please tell me what's been going on Aria. Please," he begged.

Aria regarded him for a minute as she contemplated what her options were. Finally she said, "I will tell you, but just not right now. I just have a lot on my plate right now."

"Is there anything that I can do to help you?" he asked, standing up and she followed suit.

"You could hold me."

There was no hesitation as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest. His embrace transported her back to those many times in his apartment when he had held her just like he was now. It felt good.

"I missed you," Aria whispered, her voice slightly muffled by his shoulder.

Ezra smoothed the back of her hair with his hand and whispered back, "I missed you too."

* * *

**This chapter is especially long and I only half apologize. It's longer because I haven't updated in a while so this hopefully makes up for some of it. This chapter took a while and a lot of thought and I hoped you liked it. Just so you all know, Ezria's relationship isn't all rainbows and butterflies from here on out. There's still a lot they have to talk about (a main thing being Sadie) and there will be some trials that they face. But in this chapter I wanted to convey some of the pent-up emotion that Aria had for him so I hope you could sense that. Again: I apologize for being late and I will do better. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**What Once Was Lost**

* * *

"Aria, are you guys coming?" Hanna yelled impatiently from the bottom of the stairs. The other four girls were all waiting in Spencer's living room for Aria and Sadie to come so that they could leave for Philadelphia. Hanna's reason for going was best described in her own words: "Caleb just finished some software something for some company that does something with computers and he got a huge check that we have nothing else to do with. It can be a bonding experience. We can get to know Sadie."

And now they were all ready to go but Sadie wasn't really keen on waking up at six in the morning. If Aria so much as stepped out of the room to go grab a brush and then came back Sadie would be curled up on the pillow already half asleep. For some reason she refused to go to sleep last night and now the two year old could hardly keep her eyes open. This was going to be a long day.

"Sadie, sweetie, we need to get your shoes on so that we can go on a trip. Remember Hanna said that she would buy you ice cream?"

At the mention of ice cream Sadie perked up a little bit.

"Come here and I'll carry you downstairs and maybe Hanna or Emily or Spencer or Ali can help you with your shoes while I get dressed," Aria said, looking down at her flannel pajama pants that she was still wearing.

Sadie agreed and let Aria carry her down the staircase. By the time they reached the middle floor of the house Sadie was almost asleep again on her shoulder. Aria sighed. At least there was an hour car ride where she could sleep so that she wouldn't have to carry her all day.

"What's the problem?" Emily asked once she entered the living room.

"She didn't get much sleep last night and now she is too tired to move so it was a struggle to get her dressed and she still needs to get her shoes on and I still need to get dressed and do my hair and neither of us have eaten. I'm sorry this is taking so long guys; normally she's more cooperative."

Emily instantly jumped up and went over to the shorter brunette. "I'll help her Aria. You go get dressed."

Spencer stood up as well. "I'll make you guys toast that we can bring in the car."

Hanna didn't want to be left out of the conversation so she added, "I'll sit here and make the couch feel useful."

Alison rolled her eyes. "How considerate of you."

Aria narrowed her eyes a little bit. Since she had returned she had noticed that Ali was very sarcastic, more so than usual. She didn't really participate in the conversations. Most of the times she just sat and watched which was weird since Ali had always been the center of attention. Maybe she had never fully recovered from whatever happened while she was gone. Whatever it was, Aria just shrugged it off.

Emily and Spencer went to work with Sadie and Aria ran up the stairs to change. She quickly pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans and a zebra print shirt along with a neon scarf. It took about three minutes to get dressed and then she pulled on her brightest boots and finished the outfit with a few colored bracelets. Her hair was still in loose curls from the previous day and she swiftly ran a brush through it. Once she deemed herself appropriate Aria grabbed her phone and purse and went back to where her friends were waiting.

Sadie was sitting on Spencer's lap and lying against her shoulder while slowly working on the toast that Spencer had made. Her shoes were laced up courtesy of Emily and her braid was done a little neater which she figured Hanna had done.

"You're toast is on the counter," Spencer nodded in the direction of the kitchen and Aria thanked her before grabbing it from off of the granite countertop.

"I think I'm all of the way ready. Sorry for the wait," Aria apologized.

"It's no big deal. Ali's already got the car started so we're set," Emily said, slipping her flip flops on as she made her way out of the door.

Then a thought occurred to Aria that hadn't before. "Do we have enough seats for all of us? I mean, there are six with Sadie." Before Aria had left there were only five of them and having enough space was never a problem. Now they had an addition to that number.

Hanna glanced over at Sadie who was still on Spencer's lap. "We can just carry her on one of our laps." Then after seeing Aria's worried expression she added, "Emily can drive if that would make you feel safer."

That did relieve some of her concerns. Hanna's driving was sometimes really unstable. Simply receiving a text was enough to pull her attention off of the road and she had almost driven into the front of an insurance company building because of it.

"It'll be fine, Aria. We'll be careful," Emily reassured and went out to join Ali in the car.

Spencer stood up with the sleepy toddler and scoffed, "The problem isn't going to be getting six people there in a five-seating car. It's going to be getting six people and fifty-two shopping bags _back_ in a five-seating car that is really going to cause some troubles."

Hanna just flashed a smile, "I was thinking more like sixty-three shopping bags, but that was close Spencer."

Aria and Spencer exchanged glances as the peppy woman walked out of the door dramatically bouncing her blonde curls. "Are you ready?" Spencer asked with a slight smirk.

Aria looked out of the living room at the car that would apparently hold six people and sixty-three shopping bags. Hanna was standing outside of the black vehicle arguing with Ali about something, probably about who got to sit shotgun. Ali gave her an 'are you serious' look and mouthed something that was most likely, "You're really arguing about a seat Hanna? What are we, five?"

After watching that scenario play out for a minute, Aria turned back to Spencer, "I'm not so sure." Spencer smiled and together they walked out, mentally preparing themselves for whatever this day would offer.

* * *

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Sadie said. They had been shopping nonstop for three hours and all of them wanted food but none of them had voiced their opinions except for the youngest.

Aria looked over at Hanna who was examining a black leather jacket at the Neiman Marcus outlet at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets mall. "Once Hanna gets done here we'll go find something, okay?"

Sadie nodded and fell quiet once again. She hadn't said much the whole day. Emily, Hanna, and Ali had all tried having conversations with her but each time she would hide behind Aria or Spencer's legs. Her shyness was enhanced by the big buildings and numerous people on the sidewalks. The only people that could get a word out of her were Aria and Spencer.

"Do you guys like this jacket?" Hanna asked, impervious to everyone else's desire to be done.

"Hanna, who wants a black leather jacket for summer?" Emily was probably the most bored with this adventure. She had always been more of a tennis shoes and jeans sort of girl and had never really messed with the hats or the scarves or the stilettos like all of the other girls had.

"That's a good point," Hanna said with wrinkled eyebrows. It didn't take long before something else attracted her eyes. "Ooh, what about this?"

Emily nodded with approval, "I'm sick of shopping but you should totally try that on."

Ali and Spencer both agreed and Hanna turned to Aria to get her opinion.

All Aria had to do was look at the white, knee-length dress to get a guesstimate of the price range. She had seen that designer numerous times in New York while working at the Chic Boutique. "Hanna. That is a satin crepe dress by Burberry. You're looking at eight or nine hundred dollars."

Hanna checked the price tag. "Eight hundred ninety-five dollars," she announced.

Ali turned to Aria, "That was good. Since when were you an expert on designer clothing?"

Aria shrugged, "I worked at a clothing outlet in New York for about a year and a half. You have to be pretty on top of things to help some of those women."

"You worked at a designer clothing store?" Emily asked in surprise. There was a lot that they didn't know about the three years that she had been gone. They were learning new things every day and most of the things surprised them.

Each of the four girls had made up different stories in their heads about where Aria had been. Sometimes they would even speculate about her when they were together, making up a perfect scenario for her to be in where she was safe and loved and cared for. They wanted to believe that she was okay, but after two years they gave up on those ideas. None of them dared to hope that she was okay or safe. If she was then she would have come home. Once they reached that point, they stopped talking about her out loud, but they never stopped caring about her. Instead they created their own pictures in their respective brains.

Hanna imagined her homeless in Milwaukee. Ali thought that she had gone to California and would be living in a small apartment working at McDonalds. Emily thought that she was hurt or kidnapped and living in a dingy basement. Spencer had always pictured her with a small child living in a small community in Nebraska.

None of them imagined that she would be as well off as she was. It wasn't that they didn't believe in Aria, it was just that they were all logical. There were so many teenagers out there who ended up in homeless shelters or on the streets and they figured that Aria would be among those. To hear that she had lived comfortably in a nice apartment with a good secure job while caring for a little girl astounded them all.

"Yeah, it was fun. That's actually where I ran into Melissa," Aria answered, still looking over the dress that Hanna was holding. She had seen plenty of those in a year, especially when the spring/summer collections rolled around.

"Do you own any clothes like this?" Hanna asked, lifting the hanger in her hand for emphasis. "Like are you wearing any?"

Aria looked down at her ensemble and quickly recalled where each item came from. "Well, this shirt was in the clearance bin at Forever 21, these shoes were $40 on Amazon, these bracelets were picked up at various places throughout the city."

Alison narrowed her eyes, "And what about the pants, scarf, and sunglasses?"

"The glasses are Gucci that I got at a discounted price of $300, the scarf is Eileen Fischer and was about $100, and the jeans are Alexander McQueen which I got for $450 because they had a tear in them," Aria slightly blushed. Saying that out loud made her sound spoiled and she quickly went on to justify her purchases. "The glasses normally were about $365 and the pants are normally $615 so they were really good deals."

The girls all looked at her with wide eyes. "Holy crap, Aria. You're loaded." Spencer said.

"Not really. I had a lot of coupons and discounts rather than bills and credit cards."

"Do you have any Prada?" Hanna asked.

"I have a handbag that my boss gave me when she no longer wanted it and some other random accessories."

Emily raised her eyebrows. "And how much was it worth?"

Aria bit her lip, a little embarrassed by all of the attention. "Over $1000."

Spencer let out a low whistle, "Whoa, Aria. If I ever need something to wear I'm going to raid your closet."

Sadie, who had been quiet for the duration of the conversation, cut in, "But mommy's short and you're tall."

Aria smiled as did the rest of them. "What? You don't think that I could fit into your momma's clothes?" Spencer feigned shock.

Sadie wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"Okay, I guess you're probably right."

Hanna quickly put the Burberry dress back onto the rack. She was a little offset by what Aria had said. It wasn't that she was jealous; she had the money to buy whatever clothes she wanted. Caleb's job as a software designer brought in a lot of money. It was more the fact that Aria was living comfortably in New York for three years while they had all been in Rosewood worrying about her. She had heard Aria recount her experience, and she understood why she left. She understood that she was only doing what she thought was best for her child. What she didn't understand was why she didn't use that money to hire a private investigator or something. Over the years that Aria was gone, she had lost countless hours of sleep thinking about her. She had chased down probably about seventy-five short brunettes just because they might've been her. Why had Aria had it so easily when Hanna had been so affected?

"Hanna?" Spencer waved her hand in front of her face. "Hey, are you okay? You kind of zoned out."

Hanna smiled and nodded, shaking off her thoughts. "Yeah. I'm ready to go to lunch. I don't think we should try to stuff another bag into the trunk or it won't shut."

The six girls walked out of the shop and then out of the mall. Their car was in a parking garage three blocks down and they headed that way. Aria and Sadie walked hand in hand down the sidewalk, Sadie pointing to various things every time something caught her eye. Emily, Ali, and Spencer began a conversation about what animal Emily should adopt and Aria soon joined in. Hanna hung back a little, still thinking about Aria and her story.

"I think that you should get a puppy. Like one that you could take running with you and that will cuddle with you when you watch a movie or something," Spencer said. Emily really didn't have a cuddle buddy at the current moment and all of the girls knew that she needed one. Until she did find someone though, a dog could serve as a great substitute.

"No, you should go more exotic. Like a ferret or a monkey or a tortoise," Ali put in.

Emily raised her eyebrows. "What in the world would I do with a tortoise?"

Ali shrugged, "You could keep it under your table and let it eat the salads that your mom makes."

Aria smiled. "I think you should get a pig, like one of the one's that people carry around in their purses."

Ali, Emily, and Spencer all looked at Aria with strange expressions. "I think that you spent a little too much time in New York, Aria. People shouldn't carry pigs in their purses. It's just weird." Spencer said.

"I agree. There are some weird things that go down in that city." Aria laughed and then looked down at Sadie. "Do you remember those clowns on stilts? The ones with the crazy hair?"

The two year old thought for a moment, "The ones that crashed?"

Aria nodded, "Do you remember what happened to Hunter on that day?"

Sadie smiled, "He was chased by a dog."

All of the other girls watched the exchange for a minute before Emily finally asked about it. Aria redirected her attention to her friends where she told the story of that trip to Central Park. And that story led to quite a few others from various people. Aria enjoyed every second of it. She got to know more about what had transpired in the years that she was gone, and she was able to explain a little bit about how her life in New York had been.

After a while Aria finally noticed that Hanna had been distant from the rest of them for the duration of the conversation. She figured that it had something to do with her so she turned to Spencer, "I'm gonna hang back a little with Hanna. Can you take Sadie?"

Spencer immediately nodded, "For sure. We'll go get her something to eat and you guys can get something later."

"Thank you."

Four out of the six girls continued walking up the street and soon disappeared around a corner. After a minute Hanna looked up from the sidewalk that she had been focusing on and noticed that everyone was gone except for Aria. "Where did they go?"

"They went to get Sadie some lunch."

Hanna was still confused. "Why didn't we go with them?"

"Because you have some things to talk to me about." Aria replied simply.

Hanna raised one eyebrow but Aria could hardly tell because her eyes were covered by large sunglasses to block out the piercing afternoon sun. "We do?"

"Yeah, we do. What's bothering you?"

The blonde sighed. Apparently she wasn't as good at hiding her feelings as she thought that she was. "I'm just confused."

Aria almost made a comment about how she was always confused but she decided that that wouldn't be the wisest thing to do in the current situation. "About what?"

"About why you stayed gone. We were here worried sick about you for forever. Even worse than when Ali left. When she disappeared, we had a basic idea as to why. She had a ton of secrets and even more enemies. But when you disappeared we couldn't figure out why. We spent so many days and weeks and months looking for you. Mr. Fitz looked like a cave man for almost six months because he devoted all of his time trying to find you and he spent no time in the bathroom shaving."

Aria couldn't really picture Ezra with a beard. He had always been clean-shaven and if he wasn't then he only had a little stubble. It was never a full-on beard. She didn't comment on it though.

"You never called. You didn't send a text or an email. You never sent a freaking postcard. Anything just to let us know that you were okay. It would have saved me so many sleepless nights. I just don't get how you could live such a good life in New York while we were here driving ourselves insane trying to locate you."

Hanna's words stung a little bit. "I promise you that nothing about my life was great, except for Sadie. She was the only thing that I really cared about. I lost everything when I went to New York. I lost my family, I lost you guys, and I lost Ezra. The three things that had been there for me since forever were gone and I was by myself. I was alone in foreign territory with a child in my belly that I had no clue how to care for. I was terrified.

"When I made it to NYC and met Joanne and Hunter and Peyton I had friends again, but I was still alone. Every day I would sit in the window seat and look towards Rosewood. There wasn't a second when I didn't think about something from here. Whether it was you guys or the Grille or Ezra, it didn't matter. It all hurt." The things that Aria was saying were similar to what she would write in her journal or convert into a story. She discovered that it was much easier to write them than express them out loud.

"And besides for missing you guys, I felt guilty. I had left without a reason or a rhyme and I didn't contact you guys. I let A control my decisions rather than turn to you guys for help. I was also guilty because I was going to have Ezra's baby and he wouldn't know. He wouldn't be there when she first learned how to walk. He wouldn't be there when she said her first word. And I knew how much he would have wanted to be there. That guilt grows as Sadie does."

Hanna listened intently, chewing her bottom lip. The conviction with which Aria spoke was enough to convince her that it had been as hard on her as it was on them. She almost asked Aria to stop because she understood and it was no longer necessary for her to have to relive those experiences as she explained them. But she didn't; she stayed silent and continued listening.

"I felt so out of place in New York. It wasn't home and I couldn't be the unique person that I was in Rosewood. For every wild clothing item that I wore there, someone else would be wearing three other items that were even stranger. I didn't stick out. I was just another person that no one noticed or cared about."

Aria was getting so carried away by her own story that she almost ran into an old man who was standing in the center of the sidewalk, looking up at a passing airplane. Hanna had to grab her arm to prevent the collision and Aria finally looked up from the floor.

The man didn't notice that he had almost been flattened and continued to look at the sky so Aria and Hanna just went around.

"I'm sorry Aria. I didn't think about those things," Hanna said quietly. "Thank you for explaining."

Aria nodded and brushed her hair back behind her ear. There was an obstinate piece in the front that refused to stay in place and it was driving her crazy. "Anytime, Han. I'm glad that I was able to clarify that for you. I couldn't stand it if you were upset with me."

Hanna smiled and the two continued down the sidewalk. Aria was pretty sure that they had missed whatever corner the rest of them turned at, but she didn't care.

They walked in content silence for a minute before Aria remembered something that she had wanted to bring up to Hanna when they were alone. "Did you have any other questions?"

Hanna looked over at her friend who was only a little bit shorter than she was. "About what?"

"About Sadie or how it was carrying her?"

A light turned on in Hanna's head as she remembered that conversation. "Oh, yeah. Did you get sick a lot?"

Aria nodded as she remembered the many nights that she had spent on the bathroom floor puking into the toilet bowl. "A lot. It was really miserable sometimes."

Hanna contemplated that for a moment and Aria took that time to study her. She was pretty much the Hanna that she had left three years previously, minus the black streaks in her hair. Her clothing was less lively that it used to be. But underneath that she was still the same Hanna.

"Did you have to use the bathroom a lot?"  
"So many times a day. It was ridiculous."

"Did it hurt? Like when she was born?"

Aria thought back to that day almost three years ago. "Oh yeah. It killed. Giving birth is by far the hardest thing I've physically had to do."

Hanna wrinkled her eyebrows. "Was it worth it?"

Sometimes during the last few months of pregnancy she had asked herself that quite a few times. It was no longer a question though after Aria held the tiny infant in her arms and looked down at her beautiful blue eyes for the first time. The love that she felt for her daughter was immediate and irrevocable. It was natural and pure and simple. There were no complications or conditions which was so different than every other kind of love.

"It's definitely worth it, Hanna. I wouldn't trade Sadie for anything. She means the world to me and I'd do anything for her."

"I can tell. You two are so cute," Hanna smiled. That answer made her nerves calm down a little bit.

Aria watched Hanna's face out of the corner of her eyes and smirked. Before this conversation there was still a question but now there was no doubt. "So, when are you due?"

Hanna colored a little bit. "The beginning of February."

Aria smiled. "I'm so excited for you! When are you going to tell everyone?"

Hanna bit her bottom lip again and looked around at the surrounding shops. "Well, I was hoping that only Caleb and I would know for a while just in case something goes wrong. I wasn't going to tell anyone for a while. But you figured it out, and it's only a matter of time before Spencer or Ali does."

"You're fine for at least a week or two Hanna. I only noticed because I've been through the same thing, and neither of them has."

"So you won't tell anyone?" Hanna begged.

Aria shook her head. "Of course not. That's not mine to tell. But I'm curious: do you want a girl or boy?"

This question was one that Hanna had considered quite a bit. A little girl would be a lot of fun to be able to dress up and take shopping and do girl things with. But then a miniature Caleb couldn't be a bad thing. "I'm not sure. Which do you think would be easier?"

"I don't really think that it matters what I think about that. It won't change the outcome," Aria said with a slight laugh. She was about to say something else when her phone started ringing. She pulled it out of her purse and instantly recognized the phone number. "I have to take this. It's my mom," Aria lied. She still didn't know where she stood with Ezra and until she did she wouldn't clue her friends in.

Hanna nodded and sat on a nearby bench while Aria walked off a little bit and slid her finger across the phone to answer. She took a deep breath, brought the phone up to her ear, and said hello.

* * *

It had taken Ezra almost half of an hour to work up the courage to press the call button on his phone. It was just Aria. Normally it didn't even take a second thought. That was before she went AWOL for three years though. He still didn't understand and that had been eating at him ever since he had run into her in his classroom.

He had so many questions that he was dying to ask but he didn't want to push her. She had said that she would tell him just not right then. She had a lot on her plate and Ezra wanted to respect that. If he tried too hard to get her to open up she might completely shut him out and that was the last thing that he wanted. So he waited and it was agonizing.

He walked nervously back and forth in his apartment as he waited for her to pick up the other end. Since their conversation in his conversation she hadn't left his mind. He hadn't been able to think about anything else and had consequently unassigned the last homework assignment that he had given his students. There was no way that he would be capable of focusing enough to grade them. And his students really didn't complain. As of earlier that day they were done with school for the year and some for their lives.

"Hello?" Aria's voice said. It sounded as if she was somewhere among a lot of people, like at a store or in a larger city or something.

"Umm, hi," he answered, silently cursing himself for sounding so unsure and hesitant.

"What's up?" Aria asked. He had missed hearing her voice on the other end of the phone for so long.

"I'm getting ready for the senior graduation. What about you?"

She looked around at her surroundings. "I'm in Philly with the girls. Hanna dragged us out here for a shopping trip."

Ezra couldn't help but smile as he pictured her situation. "And you didn't want to go?"

Aria thought back on the day. It had started out to be not the best because of Sadie but it actually turned out to be really fun. "I'm actually having a really good time. It's really good to be back and talking to them and letting them get to know-"she quickly cut herself off. She almost said Sadie but that wouldn't be good. "Are you glad that school's out?"

Ezra noticed her pause and addressed it before answering her questions, "Get to know who?"

Aria hit herself in the forehead with the heel of her hand. _Stupid, _she kept repeating in her mind. If she was going to have any contact with Ezra she would have to watch more carefully what she said. "Umm, get to know the new me," she made up. In truth she was still the same old Aria, just a little more mature.

He could tell that she was lying through her teeth but he didn't call her out on it. "The new you? Has that much changed?"

Aria was getting herself in deeper with every word she said. Every part of her wanted to tell him the truth but she wouldn't do it over the phone. And she needed to get to re-know him and decide whether he would even want her or not. "A lot can happen in three years, Ezra."

That's what scared him. He didn't want things to change, but he knew that it was inevitable. She was probably a different person. That didn't make him love her any less, though. "I'm aware. Can we talk, Aria? Like, not over the phone?"

Aria furrowed her eyebrows. Yes, she wanted to talk to him. But if she did she might let her secret slip out when the time wasn't right and that could open a whole new can of worms that Aria would really rather leave shut. "Umm…"

The hesitation in her voice concerned Ezra. "Aria, please. You left for three years and didn't leave a word. You didn't let me know that you were okay. It nearly killed me. Please, I need some answers."

Aria bit her lip, "I know you need answers, Ezra. I realize that. It's just that I'm not ready to give them to you at the current moment. Please understand."

The deep breath that Ezra let out could be heard through the phone and caused Aria to wince a little. "I'm sorry, Ezra."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I get it. You need your space."

Aria closed her eyes, hating that he was hurting yet staying strong. "Thank you, Ezra. Hanna's waiting for me and you ought to get ready for the graduation. Have fun, by the way. Do you have to speak?" she asked, shifting the conversation off of her.

"Luckily no," Ezra finished off his outfit with a royal blue and black checkered tie. He quickly looked himself over in the mirror before nodding and heading out to his car.

"Why is that lucky? You're a great speaker."

_Because you are all I can think about right now. I couldn't write or deliver a speech when my mind is to occupied to form a coherent sentence, _is what he wanted to thought about saying but decided against it. "I think that's a little bit of an exaggeration."

"Whatever, Ezra."

He smiled half-heartedly as he opened the driver's door to the same car that he had when she was there. He could just see her rolling her eyes. He had missed that too. "You'd better get going Aria. Just know that you can talk to me at any given time about anything. I'm always here for you."

Aria lifted a corner of her mouth slightly. "Thank you, Ezra. Really."

As Ezra was saying good bye he almost said I love you but caught himself before he made a fool of himself. She might not still share the same feelings. If that were the case he wouldn't be able to handle it. She still held his whole heart and could shatter it at any given moment and that thought scared Ezra.

Why did Aria Montgomery have to be so thoroughly captivating?

* * *

Aria slid her phone back into her pocket and walked slowly over to Hanna who was still waiting in the same position as she had been when she started the conversation. Her glasses were up on her head and she was scrutinizing Aria as she neared the bench.

"What?" Aria asked, trying very hard to not show the emotions that she was feeling.

"That wasn't your mom. There's no way," Hanna stayed sitting on the bench and Aria sat heavily beside her.

"You're right."

Hanna smirked a little bit. She still loved those words because they were very rarely used when someone what speaking to her. "There was some tension there. Was it Hanson?"

"Do you mean Hunter?" Aria asked with one eyebrow raised.

Hanna waved one hand in the air dismissively. "Yeah, same diff."

Aria smiled. "No, it was not Hunter."

Hanna thought for a moment. "Was it your old pizza guy from New York?"

"Umm, no."

"Oh my gosh, was it Ezra? Have you seen him?" Hanna asked excitedly.

Aria could lie and pretend that it wasn't him, but she wasn't sure how well that would go over. The blush on her cheeks would give her away instantly. "Yes and yes."

"Elaborate," the blonde demanded.

Aria sighed but did as told. "When I went to see my mom yesterday at the school I stopped by his classroom when he wasn't in there and then went and sat at my old desk and then he walked in."

"What was his reaction?"

"He was really surprised and cautious, like he thought that I would disappear if he made any sudden movements."

"Did you guys talk?"

Aria nodded, "We talked but not about anything important. I skirted around those topics and he did as well because he could tell that I wasn't comfortable with them."

Hanna smiled, "Aww, he's so sweet."

"I know. We hugged though."

"And how was that?"

Now Aria smiled, "It was really good. I've missed him so much, Han, it's just that when I see him the guilt builds. And when I talk to him I keep almost slipping up and saying Sadie's name or something about her. I want to see him again, but it's so hard."

"Why did he call?"

"He wants to talk and I really don't blame him."

Hanna turned a little bit on the bench so that she was more fully facing Aria. "What did you say?"

"That I wasn't ready to tell him about what happened." Saying it out loud made Aria seem weak. "It's just that I can't justify leaving without Sadie and I can't tell him about Sadie yet because that's not something you can just tell someone out of the blue."

The blonde placed a hand on Aria's shoulder comfortingly. "You'll work it out, Aria. I know you will. You two have survived much worse things. Like remember when he was lying to you for two years and was spying and writing a book and how he only talked to you because of research? You guys got past that."

Aria laughed softly, "Yes, I remember those things. How could I forget?"

Hanna shrugged. "My point is that you guys will be okay. I don't know how or why, but it always seems to turn out right in the end for you two."

Aria couldn't help but agree. "I hope you're right, Hanna."

"Of course I am," she said confidently.

"But what if you're not?"

"There are no buts, Aria. He still loves you."

"But what if I say that I don't love him?" Aria questioned with her eyebrows raised.

Hanna scoffed, "Then you would be lying."

"Fine," Aria relented. "We should probably get going."

Hanna agreed and Aria quickly texted Spencer to see where they had gone. A few minutes later she received the address of a park where they were playing at with Sadie. Hanna and Aria made their way in that direction only stopping to buy a Subway sandwich on the way.

When they came in sights of the park Aria sped up a little bit so that she could see Sadie. Hanna angled her direction to the bench where Spencer and Ali were sitting whereas Aria made a beeline for the bottom of the slide that Sadie was going down with Emily.

The two came around the last twist and Sadie instantly squealed as she saw her mother. She quickly clambered off of Emily's lap and jumped into Aria's outstretched arms. "Mommy, Emily took me on the slide."

"Did you tell her thank you?"

Sadie turned back to Emily and thanked her before turning back to Aria and playing with her hair.

"Aria, I think that I'm going to steal your daughter." Emily said once she climbed off of the end of the slide. "Although I really don't fit on these slides anymore. I'm just going to have to catch her at the bottom."

"So you guys are friends now?" Aria asked, looking between Sadie and Emily.

Emily nodded with a small smile. It took a while and a lot of coaxing but Sadie had finally opened up. "Yeah we are. Huh?" she asked Sadie, tickling her belly and making her giggle.

Aria smiled. She loved the fact that her friends were getting along so well with Sadie. And Emily really would make a great mother someday. She was so kind and compassionate and patient.

Spencer, Ali, and Hanna all stood up and went to join them on the playground. "What did you guys talk about?" Spencer asked, looking between Aria and Hanna.

The two shared a look and just smiled. "Different things."

The other three just shrugged. "So what now?" Ali asked. "Surely we aren't shopping anymore. You probably maxed out three credit cards today, Hanna."

Hanna just flashed a smile. "I owe Sadie some ice cream, if I'm not mistaken." Sadie instantly nodded and Hanna went on, "but she can only have it if she lets me carry her."

The two year old looked warily at Hanna.

Aria smiled, "You can go to Hanna."

Sadie finally nodded and went over to Hanna who swung her around onto her hip. "Alright, let's go. Do you like sprinkles or caramel or chocolate or gummy bears or what? Or maybe all. Let's just not tell your momma about all of the sugar I'm gonna let you have or she might never let me see you again."

Aria let out a weary sigh. "If you feed her sugar she will never get to sleep and I will have the same problem that I had this morning tomorrow."

"It's fine. You'll survive," Hanna said optimistically.

Aria just shook her head. There was no reasoning with her. Ever.

* * *

**First of all, happy Fourth of July to everyone in the USA. I've had my fair share of parades and fireworks and 5ks and candy today. Second of all, I'm sorry again for the late update. Things have been crazy what with the holiday and all, but here it is! I hope you guys like it and please leave a review and let me know what you think. It really means a lot! And if you get bored you could always check out my other stories. Just a suggestion ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

"Aria, wake up," Spencer said, snapping her fingers in front of her friend's sleeping face.

Slowly, Aria opened her large hazel eyes and blinked a couple of times before she could register what she was seeing. Spencer was leaning over her trying to get her attention. Outside the window the world was still dark which meant that it was probably five o'clock or earlier. When she looked at the clock on the table next to the bed she saw 4:43. Why in the world was Spencer waking her up at this insane hour of morning?

"What?" she murmured sleepily.

"We need to go over to Emily's apartment. Like right now."

Aria was confused. "Spencer. It's 4:45 in the morning. We got home three hours ago. Can't this wait?"

The taller brunette shook her head instantly. "Nope. We've got to go now." When Aria still made no effort to get out of bed, Spencer went over to the light and turned it on. Aria just covered her head in her covers and so Spencer pulled those completely off.

Sadie stirred from the other side of the bed and Aria sat up stretching. "Can you at least tell me why?"

Spencer went to the closet where Aria kept her shoes and pulled out some that she could just slip on and threw them at Aria who barely managed to catch them before they hit her in the face. Then Spencer did the same with a pair of Sadie's shoes. "Let's go. I'll tell you on the way."

Aria finally managed to swing her short legs over the edge of the bed and slip the shoes on. "Sadie's coming too?"

"Unless you want to leave her here by herself," Spencer said, still rummaging through Aria's closet in search of jackets for the both of them. It took a minute but she finally found them and then she went over to the bed and handed both to Aria. "I'll be in the car. I expect you to be out there in two minutes or less."

Spencer left the room without leaving Aria time to object. By this point she was a little bit more aware than she had been when she was just woken up. She sighed and helped Sadie slip on her shoes and jacket. She was too tired to object as Aria picked her up and carried her down the stairs.

Out of the front window Aria could see the headlights of Spencer's car shining at her like spotlights. She shielded her eyes with one hand as she exited the house and headed towards the passenger seat of the car. Almost as soon as she pulled the door shut Spencer started backing up.

"I'm waiting…" Aria said while running her fingers through Sadie's thick hair. It was slightly tangled because Aria hadn't had time to brush it out.

Spencer glanced at her through the rear-view window. "Emily's dad was just entered into the emergency room because of his heart problems. Her mom called me from the hospital and asked if I could pick up Emily since her car is in the shop."

Aria vaguely remembered Emily saying that her dad had heart problems, but nothing had really happened because of them. At least nothing had happened as of December three years ago. Maybe since then it was a frequent occurrence. "Has this happened before?"

Spencer thought for a minute, nervously tapping her finger on the steering wheel as they drove through the deserted streets of Rosewood on their way to the apartment complexes. "I think it has one other time about two years ago. He almost died and they barely got him to the ER on time, if I remember correctly. Since then he's been fine, well until just now."

"And why didn't you say, 'Aria wake up we need to take Emily to the hospital,' instead of throwing shoes at me?"

Spencer just shrugged as she turned left onto the street where Emily's place was. "I still got you up, didn't I?"

When they pulled up in front of apartment number 24 Emily wasn't waiting outside of the door like they had suspected that she would be. Spencer and Aria looked at each other with puzzled expressions. "I'll go grab her," Aria said. She jumped out of the car and sat Sadie down in the second row.

The apartment that Emily lived in was on the second floor and Aria took the concrete steps by twos until she reached the top. Everything was quiet until Aria started knocking loudly on Emily's door. There was no noise from inside which meant that Emily was still asleep like any sane person would be at that insane hour in the morning.

Aria started pounding on the door even louder and after a minute she could hear movement from inside. Emily opened the door with a yawn. "Aria, why the crap are you banging on my door at 5:00 in the morning?"

"You need to come with us," Aria stated, taking the Spencer approach to things. "Slip on your shoes right now. Grab a jacket if you want one. We've got to go."

Emily looked very lost. "Why? What's going on?"

"We'll tell you once you get in the car. Seriously, slip on some shoes."

Emily opened the door a little wider and looked around at her floor for something.

Aria was now able to see the interior of the place. From what was visible through the doorway she could see a small, modern kitchen and a pretty furnished living room. There were a few picture frames on the wall of Emily and various people like her family or Ali or Spencer or Hanna. There was even one of her and Emily from the day that they had bought fake mustaches from the grocery store.

Emily went around a couch and came back wearing flip flops. "Do I need to get dressed?" she asked, looking down at her old Beyonce concert t-shirt and basketball shorts.

"No. Let's go."

By this point Emily was a little exasperated and annoyed but she followed her mini friend down the stairs and towards a car that looked like it might belong to Spencer.

"You take shotgun," Aria said as she slid into the back row beside Sadie.

Emily climbed into the front seat and Spencer took off towards the hospital. "Where are we going you guys? Seriously someone tell me."

Spencer glanced back at Aria with a smirk. The Spencer that you encountered in the wee hours of the morning was a little less reserved than the normal Spencer. "Why didn't you just say, 'Emily, you're dad is in the hospital' instead of dragging her out here for no apparent reason?"

"Spencer. Totally not appropriate right now," Aria scolded.

"My dad's in the hospital? Is it his heart?" Emily asked worriedly.

Spencer looked over at her and nodded. "Did your mom not call you?"

Emily shook her head. "My phone's dead and I left my charger at Ali's when I was there a couple of days ago."

Aria raised her eyebrows, "How do you survive without a phone or a car?"

Spencer smirked. "Aria. Totally not relevant right now."

Aria glared at Spencer through the rear-view mirror. Then she turned to Emily, "Right. Sorry."

Emily didn't really pay her any attention. She kept looking forward and waiting anxiously for the hospital to come into view. "How long ago did my mom call you?"

Spencer pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time of the call. "It was about thirteen minutes ago."

"Can you drive any faster?" Emily asked.

Spencer rolled her eyes. "I'm already going ten miles over the speed limit, Emily. We'll get you there. Don't worry."

Aria reached over and pulled Sadie onto her lap. She was wide-eyed and very aware of her surroundings, much unlike the previous morning. "What's wrong?" Sadie asked her mother, looking up at her with Ezra's blue eyes.

"Emily's daddy is sick. We're going to go take her to the doctor's so that she can see him," Aria explained. She was absentmindedly drawing small shapes on Sadie's thigh with her finger.

Sadie nodded like she understood and then asked another question, "Where's my daddy?"

She had asked this question only once before when she had been watching a small family playing together at a park. Before Aria had told her that she didn't know. Now Aria didn't have the heart to lie to her. The father of her child was sleeping in his bed in apartment 3B only a couple of blocks away. She knew exactly where he was.

Emily and Spencer both looked back curious to see how Aria would respond. "You're daddy's sleeping," she answered. It was the truth but probably not what her daughter was looking for.

Spencer quickly jumped into Aria's aid before the two year old could ask any more questions that would make Aria uncomfortable. "Sadie, are you excited to meet your grandma later today?"

That was enough to shift Sadie's attention and Aria mouthed thank you when Spencer looked back again. She nodded and returned her gaze to the road ahead. The lights of the hospital could be seen on the left and she switched lanes to pull into the parking lot.

"I think so."

Emily smiled slightly, "You think so? You don't know?"

Sadie shook her little head, her hair falling in front of her face in the process. "No." Aria reached up and tucked her daughter's hair back behind her ear where it had previously been.

"I think you should be excited. Your grandma is really nice and she will love you a lot."

Sadie just nodded.

Spencer pulled the car into the nearest parking space and shut off the engine. Emily quickly thanked her for the ride and ran inside leaving Sadie, Aria, and Spencer in the mostly empty hospital parking lot.

The roads were just starting to have the first commuters that went to Philadelphia every day for work. The sky was starting to get lighter but the sun still couldn't be seen over the Rosewood skyline.

Aria stepped out of the car with Sadie on her hip. "So what now?"

Spencer shut the driver's door and walked around. "I'm not really sure. I think her mom said that they had to get his blood circulating again. I don't know how long that will take."

"So do we wait here? If he's in surgery then Emily would have to wait in the waiting room but she would have her mom."

"Actually Mrs. Fields made it sound like she was going in there with him. Emily might be by herself."

Aria shrugged, "It couldn't hurt to go in and see what's going on."

"It actually could hurt. I am running on three hours of sleep and we all know how bad that can turn out," Spencer said dryly. "The sarcasm that is a Hastings inheritance tends to drip out of my mouth like water from a stupid leaky faucet."

"Fine. You go sleep and Sadie and I will stay here for Emily," Aria said. She had always been a very dedicated friend who would jump off of a cliff in a split second to save a friend who was drowning in the river below.

"But what about Sadie? Not many people have seen her, right? What if Ezra's there?"

"Why would Ezra be here? He doesn't have any family that lives in Rosewood and his college friends have all moved off to various states. Unless he himself is hurt, he wouldn't be here," Aria replied.

"But someone that knows you could see her and the news would spread quickly through the town. You know how Rosewood is."

Spencer's comments made Aria bite her lip. If Ezra heard the news through small town gossip he would probably never forgive her. No, he had to hear it from her. But then again it was 5:00 am and they were going to a hospital waiting room and not the Brew where everyone hung out. "It'll be okay."

"Okay. And I was kidding about the sleep. Who needs it these days anyway?"

Aria smiled, "No one who's anyone. Let's go."

* * *

Hospital food had always disgusted Aria, but it wasn't so much the food as it was the setting. Sitting at the round tables with the dark blue plastic chairs and the drawn out faces of visitors made the whole thing kind of morbid. Even though some of the people were there for happy occasions like the birth of a new child or the death of a hated relative, there was still a heavy atmosphere.

"Sadie, you need to finish your sandwich before you can have your cookie." Somewhere the two year old had gotten the idea that dessert was first. That idea had probably came from Hunter who practically lived by that rule.

Sadie stuck out her bottom lip slightly. "But cookies are so much better."

Aria laughed, "I know they are, sweetie, but you have to eat your food first and then you can have it."

The toddler put down her cookie and picked up her sandwich with her left hand. Though she and Ezra were both right handed, Sadie was a leftie and Aria wasn't quite sure where she had got it from. As far as she knew none of her family was left handed so that was yet another thing that she had inherited from the Fitzgerald line.

Emily approached the table where Aria and Sadie were eating, her flip flops echoing in the mostly empty cafeteria. It was about 10:30 which was too late for breakfast yet too early for lunch making it brunch.

She sat down wearily next to Aria and placed her forehead in her hands. "Be thankful that your dad doesn't have coronary heart disease. It gets stressful."

"I haven't even seen my dad in three years, so…" Aria said glancing over at her friend.

Emily looked up, "Oh, gosh, Aria. I'm sorry."

Aria shrugged it off, "its fine, Emily. I am grateful about that. How's your dad doing?"

She sighed and looked off in a different direction. "His arteries are getting clogged and they got especially bad and his heart wasn't getting enough oxygen which made it have to work extra hard or something like that. They had to do surgery to remove some of the build-up and he's in recovery now. The doctors said that this might occur again which my mom and I are so excited for." The sarcasm in that last sentence was thick.

"I'm sorry, Emily. Is there anything I can do to help?" Aria asked with concern.

Emily shook her head, "No. Thanks for being here though. It means a lot to me and my mom appreciates it as well. I told her that you were back and she had a lot of questions which I eventually managed to answer or maneuver around. She said for me to say hi for her, so hi."

"I would tell you to tell her hi for me except she is approaching this table so I guess I can do it in person," Aria said.

Pam Fields looked the same as she had last time that she had seen her. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun that was now loose caused by the stress and activities of the day. She was wearing a grey pencil shirt and black heels with a buttoned red top. Emily's mom was forever the professional.

Mrs. Fields smiled as she got closer to the table where her daughter was sitting with her no-longer-lost best friend. "Aria, hello!" she said cheerfully.

"Hi, Mrs. Fields," she replied with a smile.

"How have you been?" she was now just a few feet away and Aria turned in her chair so that she was more clearly facing her.

"I've been doing really well, thank you. How are you?"

The older woman let out a short breath but kept her smile. "Truthfully, I've been better."

Aria nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry about your husband. If there's anything I can do to help, feel free to call."

Pam nodded and then turned her attention to Sadie who was eying the stranger warily. "Who's this?"

"This is my daughter, Sadie." Aria answered. "Can you say hi?" Sadie did so but it was so quiet that it was hardly audible. Aria turned back to Emily's mom. "She's really shy."

Mrs. Fields crouched down a little bit so that she was eye level with the mini Aria. "She's adorable, Aria. I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you. She keeps me on my toes."

They continued a conversation for a while until Pam's phone beeped. "That was a text from the nurse saying that Wayne has woken up. I'd better get going. It was nice chatting with you, Aria. I'm so glad you're back."

Aria smiled, "Same here. Bye."

The older woman walked off and left Aria, Emily, and Sadie to themselves again. Emily stood up. "I was going to get something to eat but I guess that will have to wait."

"You can have Sadie's cookie if you want. I can get her another one."

Sadie seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and didn't argue. She even went as far as to hold it out to Emily who gently took it. "Thank you, Sadie."

"I hope your daddy's okay," she said with grave blue eyes.

Emily smiled. "He will be. You just made my day Sadie. Thank you. And thank you, Aria for coming. Again, it means a lot."

"I'm glad that I'm back so that I can be here for you. I think that Sadie and I will head out after I buy her another cookie. If you need anything don't hesitate to send me a text or call."

Emily nodded and went back to the elevator where she returned to the third floor. Aria watched her leave and then turned back to her daughter. "I'm so proud of you for sharing, Sadie. That was really nice of you and Emily appreciated it."

Sadie nodded, "I'm happy that Emily has a daddy even if I don't."

Aria smiled sort of sadly. She did have a daddy who would love her very much if he only knew that she existed. "Sit tight, sweetie. I'll go buy you another cookie."

Sadie agreed and once again picked up her sandwich so that she could finish it by the time her mom returned.

Aria continued to watch Sadie as she waited in line behind an elderly man. She was so perfect and beautiful and she wished that Ezra were there to see it. Hopefully it wouldn't be too much longer before she had an opportunity to tell him. Hopefully.

"They're precious little dolls, aren't they?" the man in front of her asked.

It made Aria jump a little because she wasn't expecting it but she nodded in agreement.

"I had five of my own. They can be a lot of work, but I promise you that they are worth it. My family means everything to me," the old man said, looking at the little girl who sat alone at the hospital table.

"Were you ever scared of failing them?" Aria asked the man who had obviously had quite a bit of experience in the child department.

He chuckled which reminded her of her mom's dad that had died several years back. "All of the time, dear. All of the time."

She nodded. It helped knowing that she wasn't the only parent that lived in constant fear of letting her child down.

"But let me tell you something I've learned over the years. You don't have to be perfect; you just have to love them. The rest will fall into place."

The line ahead of them shifted and they both moved forward.

Aria bit her lip nervously. "But what if it doesn't? What if I can't give her everything that she needs?"

The man touched her shoulder gently and made her hazel eyes meet his chocolate brown ones. "What ifs will never get you anywhere in life, my dear. You just have to believe in yourself. What your daughter needs is a mother who is confident enough in herself to set an example for her."

"I try but it's hard, especially since I'm by myself right now."

"You'll make it," he smiled reassuringly and readjusted his suspenders.

"Thank you," Aria said gratefully.

He nodded and then stepped up to the cashier to order whatever it was that he was there for. Aria continued watching Sadie who was now drinking her orange juice with a straw, impervious of her mother's gaze. There was so many times that Aria wished that she could be young again where she could be innocent and carefree and relaxed. Those were things that she hadn't had in so long.

"I'm ready to take your order whenever you're ready," a polite voice said from the counter ahead of her.

Aria turned around and saw that the old man had gone. She stepped closer to the counter and ordered one cookie and a bottle of water.

She pulled her wallet out of her pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill that would cover the price of $3.12. The lady however wouldn't take it. "Your meal has already been paid for, miss."

Aria's head snapped up and she looked around but the old man was no where to be seen. She smiled slightly despite the nervous feelings that she had had just a few minutes earlier and silently thanked the old man for the second time.

* * *

It was 5:32 and the nervousness was just starting to really set in. In fifty-eight minutes Sadie would meet her grandmother and Zach, whatever his relation to her was. Aria had also received a text that Mike would be there but he didn't know that she was back or that he was an uncle.

She was stressing over this dinner probably way more than was necessary and Spencer and Emily who were there at the current moment kept telling her that.

"Aria, your mom will love her. How could she not? Sadie is the cutest thing that ever happened to the world," Spencer said from her position on the floor with a hammer.

The bed that Spencer had ordered for Sadie on the first day that they arrived had come finally and Spencer and Emily were trying to construct it. They had already almost drilled through Emily's finger and got Spencer's hair stuck in between two of the metal bars. Needless to say, they were no building phenomena.

"I know, but it's still going to be awkward. I mean, I know that she's my mom and all but this is a weird introduction to make. And then there's Mike who's probably angry at me for leaving and then he's going to be surprised about Sadie because he doesn't know. And then there's Zach. What do I tell Sadie about him? He's not married to my mom but he's still with her. And she can't call him grandpa because that's weird and he is way too young to be a grandpa. And what if he doesn't even like her? What if-"

She was cut off by Emily who had stood up and was now gripping her arms to stop her from anxiously pacing across the floor. "Aria. Your mom will love her. Mike will love her. Zach will love her. They're all so glad that you're back. Stop worrying about it."

Aria inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, "You're right. I can do this."

Spencer looked up and nodded, "You can do it and hopefully by the time you get back we'll have this done and still have all of our limbs attached."

Aria smiled and then turned around. "Where is Sadie, anyways?"

The other two girls looked and saw that she was no longer on the bed where she had been sitting. Somewhere amidst Aria's ranting she must have slipped out. "I don't know. I'm sure she's fine. Sadie's too obedient to play with knives or electrical sockets or anything."

"That's true but I'd better go find her. I've still got to find her something to wear since she's still in her pajamas," Aria said. They had gotten back from the hospital at 11:00 and Aria hadn't ever gotten around to dressing her or doing her hair. She hadn't even bothered getting herself dressed.

Spencer was somewhat more productive than she was and had changed into some red jeans with a grey short-sleeved shirt accented by a black belt. Her hair was braided into a side pony and her makeup was already applied. Emily however was in the same attire as she had been that morning when Aria went to her apartment although her Beyonce shirt was now covered by a light running jacket.

Aria left her friends to struggle with the bed-building and went down the stairs to find Sadie who wasn't inside at all. Aria found her sitting on the front porch step looking at the sky.

Aria sat down beside her and Sadie only briefly looked over before turning her attention back to the sky above. Buttermilk clouds spread across the blue expanse. The clouds were probably what attracted the little girl's attention. For some reason she had always had a fascination with them. Maybe it was the fact that they changed so much and they were up high.

"They're so pretty, momma," she whispered.

"They are very pretty, I agree. And so are you."

The toddler smiled slightly and Aria could tell that she had temporarily forgotten about the impending dinner. If she didn't interfere Sadie would be there 'til the sun went down and then she would start looking at the stars.

"Sadie, sweetie, we have to get you dressed and comb you hair. Remember that we're going to meet your grandma today?"

The little brunette nodded and Aria couldn't help but smile. Sadie was so much like Ezra. All of the little things that she did were almost exact replicas of her former lover even though the two year old had never met him. The way that she took a minute to wake up in the morning. The way that she was constantly immersed in books even though she couldn't read yet. The way that she got a little smirk when she was right. Though she loved those things about Sadie, she also wished that she wasn't so much like her father because Aria wouldn't have constant reminders of the man that she had lost.

But now they were back in Rosewood. There was a chance that he could forgive her. There was a chance that he could love her again. Though the chances weren't promising, Aria held to them like her life depended on it. And although, in actuality her life didn't depend on it, her happiness did. Without Ezra Fitz in her life it just wouldn't be complete.

"Mommy?" Sadie said questioningly.

Aria shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned to see that Sadie had stood up and was waiting for her to go inside. Aria stood up and took her daughter's petite hand and together they walked through the front door.

It was 6:20 by the time the two were ready which barely left them enough time to make it to the little house that Ella and Zach had purchased on the other end of town.

They pulled up in front of the house in Spencer's car and Aria hopped out before helping Sadie do the same. Although Aria had already seen Ella since returning home, this experience was a lot like the experience of walking to Spencer's front door earlier that week.

Aria stood in front of the front door and stared at it as if it was a monster ready to swallow her whole rather than a rectangular piece of wood. Mike's car wasn't in the driveway which meant that he was late, as usual. It would just be Ella, her boyfriend, her daughter that disappeared for three years, and a little girl whose father was the mother's English teacher. Not strange at all.

Sadie stepped forward when Aria wouldn't and knocked softly on the door with her little fist and with the other hand she held her mom's hand even tighter. Aria bit her lip which had become a nervous habit for her over the years.

The door was opened by Zach who stepped back further to allow Aria and Sadie room to get past in the narrow hallway. Though the beginning of the house was a little cramped and stuffy, it soon opened up into an adjoined kitchen and living room. The tone of the space was homey with the light yellow walls and the brown cabinets with occasional splashes of blue. Aria decided right away that the space was very much like her mother. Some of her paintings were even hanging on the wall.

"Aria, it's good to see you again," Zach said pleasantly once they both made it to the kitchen where the food was all set out and ready to be eaten. It smelled like pasta of some sorts which Aria wasn't really surprised by. Pasta and meatless casseroles were served a lot because of her status as a vegan.

"Yeah, you too. This is Sadie." Aria inclined her head down to where her daughter stood quietly.

Zach crouched down and waved. "Hi, Sadie. I'm Zach."

She didn't respond in any way but the older man didn't seem to care. He stood back up to face Aria. "Your mother just ran to the store to buy ice since our freezer is currently broken."

Aria nodded and Zach offered to give her a quick tour of the place which Aria instantly agreed to. The house was a three bedroom, two bathroom place with decent floor space. One of the bedrooms was filled completely with painting supplies and canvas. The other was a guest bedroom.

The yard out back was quaint and well-manicured. There was a small fountain and a wooden swing that could seat two under a large tree. There was a small place where they could have a fire and it seemed like a perfect place to spend summer nights.

From the backyard they could hear a car pull up in the front.

"That must be Ella. Mike's truck always screeches when he applies the breaks," Zach commented.

"Mike's driving a truck?" Aria asked with raised eyebrows. "When did that happen?"

Zach scratched his head thoughtfully. "It's probably been about a year. He was attending college and didn't have much money so he bought the cheapest thing he could find at the dealer. Just wait tell you see it though; it's a real beauty."

Aria couldn't picture her little brother driving a clunky truck but then again he was no longer her _little_ brother.

Zach led the way inside and they came through the back door just as Ella was entering through the front door, both arms weighed down by multiple shopping bags. Zach instantly relieved her of the groceries and carried them to the kitchen, allowing Ella to meet her granddaughter.

Sadie ducked behind Aria as Ella walked closer. "Hi, honey," Ella addressed Aria.

She smiled in response and tried to get Sadie to come out of hiding. "Sweetie, this is your grandma. Can you say hi?"

Timidly Sadie stepped out from behind her mother's short legs and said hello. After a minute she finally lifted her gaze from the floor and met her grandmother's eyes.

Ella's heart melted and she got her first look at her only grandchild's face. Her eyes started watering but she made no move to dry them. "Aria, she's beautiful."

Aria didn't say anything in reply but her mother didn't care. Her mind was preoccupied.

"And those eyes. They're certainly not from our side of the family. But her size is. Aria, she's like a miniature you. It's like I'll get to see you grow up all over again."

Aria laughed slightly, "She's nothing like me. She's compliant and calm and well-tempered and patient and we all know that I am none of those things. She is much more like her father."

"You are well-tempered, you can be calm, and occasionally you listen," Ella smiled, giving her daughter some credit before turning her attention back to the littlest person in the room both in terms of age and size.

Ella bent down until she was eye level with Sadie much like Zach had done only moments before. Without any other words she wrapped her arms around Sadie and pulled her in for a hug. The two year old still wasn't familiar with her so she squirmed a little and Ella let go.

Aria was worried that her mother would be offended, but her smile showed that she wasn't. "We'll get there," Ella said to Sadie who still remained silent.

The door opened quite dramatically and Mike made his entrance. "Mom, I'm home!" he yelled loudly. Aria rolled her eyes and the mom and daughter exchanged a smile. Some boys never grew up.

Mike Montgomery walked into the room and slung his bag onto the floor. From what Ella had said Mike had been living in Michigan and attending school there on a lacrosse scholarship. He was going to stay there for the summer but had come for the week to visit.

Without looking around he made his way to the kitchen where he greeted Zach with a nod and washed his hands in preparation for dinner. The only thing he knew at the moment was that he had just had a long drive and that his stomach was about to eat itself.

Aria watched him from the living room, wondering what his reaction would be when he turned around and saw her. He looked more grown-up from the last time she had seen him. He looked more like a man and less like a teenage boy. His hair was still the same and he had a short beard which was a look that Aria hadn't seen on him.

The only sound in the house was the running water and after what seemed like an eternity, Mike noticed the silence. He turned around and eyed his mother with a questioning glance. When she didn't respond in any way he turned his look to Zach who watched with amused eyes. From there his eyes started to scan the room and he saw Sadie and his scan stopped.

He stared at her for a while and she watched him with curious blue eyes. There was something about her that seemed familiar but he wasn't sure why. He was positive that he had never seen this little girl yet something about her caught his attention. "Umm, who is that? Do you guys babysit now?" Mike asked his mother.

"No, not exactly," Ella said slowly.

Mike returned his gaze to the little girl to try to figure out why she looked so familiar. Once he glanced at a picture on the wall he realized what it was. This little girl looked almost identical to Aria at that age. He looked back and forth between the picture and the child and found that the resemblance was almost uncanny except for the fact that the little girl had blue eyes. "She looks like…" he let it trail off. He hadn't allowed himself to say her name in two years. She had just left him and wasn't there at his high school graduation or his championship lacrosse game and she didn't leave a reason why. He still harbored feelings of resentment that she had just ditched him.

"Me?" Aria asked, stepping behind her daughter. "I get that a lot, actually."

Mike slowly set the towel that he had been using to dry his hands down on the counter and stared at her with wide eyes. "Aria?"

His older sister smiled, "Hi."

Even though only fifteen seconds ago he was thinking about how mad at her he was, now all that he could think about was that she was back. He took a few steps towards her and she went the rest of the way and wrapped her arms around her brother. He did the same, still not believing that she was actually here. After a second he pulled back to start the torrent of questions that was a trademark of reunions.

"Where have you been? Why did you leave? How could you?"

Zach stepped in to Aria's aid. "Why don't we sit down and eat and then we can have story-time with the dessert?"

Aria agreed and after a minute Mike did as well. He was still processing that she was back in Rosewood after so long. They all began to take their places around the table when one major question that Mike had resurfaced. "So I'm still curious about the little girl."

Ella smiled proudly, "That little girl is my first granddaughter."

Once again Mike's eyes widened. "Aria, you have a kid?"

Aria nodded and helped her 'kid' get a plate ready. Sadie kept watching Mike with the same, solemn expression.

"I'm an uncle?"

Once again the rest of the gathering nodded, each a little amused at the questions he was asking. If he just thought about things a little more he would already know the answers.

"So you just leave and then come back with a little girl? What is she? Two? Three?"

"She's two almost three," Aria answered after she had sat down and prepared both of them a plate.

Mike looked between the two repeatedly until Ella cut in, "Mike, your head is going to get unscrewed if you keep turning it like that. Cut the girls some slack."

He stopped and let out a breath. "What's her name?"

"Sadie May."

Zach raised his eyebrow, "Is there a reason you chose May?"

Aria nodded and smiled slightly, "Yeah, there's a reason."

Ella now was interested as well. "Are you going to elaborate?"

Aria shook her head and became suddenly very interested in the pasta. "Nope."

The rest of them shook it off.

They began eating and switched the conversation from Aria for a while. They talked about Mike's lacrosse and business at the brew and the flowers that Ella intended to paint as soon as she found a moment.

This family dinner was extremely different than any other family dinner they'd had. Among the most prominent differences were Zach instead of Byron and the addition of Sadie. But it was nice. It wasn't pressured or forced or awkward and a bystander wouldn't know that they were anything but a perfectly functioning family.

Yes, Aria did miss her dad, but she didn't really miss her mom and dad together. She could tell that her mom was happy, and that was what really mattered.

"So, Mike. What are you going to major in since you can't exactly play lacrosse forever?" Aria asked.

"I think you should go into the medical field. There's good money there," Ella said.

"I tried the medical field but it didn't really work out for me that well. Apparently the sight of blood makes me queasy to the stomach and puking on cadavers isn't appropriate," Zach reminisced with a smile.

Ella turned to her boyfriend. "You're kidding."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I almost wish I was. The professor was not that happy and then he made me clean it up but how do you clean up vomit from a dead body?"

Sadie crinkled her nose when he said that which made the whole table laugh. "Maybe we should keep the talk of vomit at a minimum or I'm not going to be able to eat the rest of this," Aria said looking down at her plate that was still half full. Her mother had insisted that she fill it and she didn't want to be rude.

"Agreed," Ella said.

Mike and Zach both laughed at the women's reactions.

They fell quiet for a minute as they all focused on their food for a second. While taking a bite of the cornbread her mother had made, Aria happened to look up at Mike who was staring at Sadie with a furrowed brow. She set the fork down and commented on it, "Mike, are you trying to stare a hole through her forehead?"

He blushed, a little embarrassed at being caught. "No. I'm just trying to see if she ever smiles because thus far she hasn't."

Aria looked down at Sadie who had been quiet the whole night. "If you weren't so scary looking she might actually show her smile. And she does have one, I promise."

Mike opened his mouth, "I take offense. You don't think I'm scary-looking do you, Sadie?"

The two year old got an impish look in her eyes but didn't say anything.

"I think that your mommy is the funny-looking one here," he said. "I mean, look at her."

Sadie did look at her but still kept her poker face.

Aria smiled, "I think that he's kind of crazy. Do you agree?"

The toddler nodded and turned to Mike to see what he would say next.

He scoffed, "I can't even believe you said that. Now it's time for you to meet the tickle monster." He stood up and came around the table to where she was sitting. She leaned against her mom as he came closer and started tickling her tummy. She tried for a long time to hold it in but eventually she smiled and her giggles filled the air.

"I found it. I found your smile. I think it was lost for a while," Mike said proudly.

"It wasn't lost," she assured him with a serious expression.

"Well it isn't lost now because I found it."

Aria smiled to herself. This truly was the perfect evening. Like Spencer and Emily had said, they all loved Sadie and Aria loved that Mike was hitting it off so well with Sadie. It was obvious that she adored him.

Being back made her feel like she really had a family again and she knew that both of them would be loved and cared for and that made her heart swell. The only thing that could make it more perfect would be if Ezra was sitting in the empty chair next to her.

But, for the first time in a long time, she didn't focus on what she didn't have. She was content with what she had and the love that she felt in the household. Things would work out.

It was almost 10:00 before Aria decided that she better go back to Spencer's and put Sadie to bed. On her way to Spencer's car she saw what Zach meant when he said that Mike's truck was a beauty.

The thing was like an old farm truck that had been the victim of a child with a paint gun. Various colors were splattered across the exterior and when she looked through the driver's window she discovered that it was pretty much the same story with the interior. The vehicle looked like it should be carrying clowns and poodles around a circus arena rather than transporting a grown man.

Aria laughed and turned in the direction of her ride. She made a silent vow that she would always drive if the two of them ever went anywhere together.

* * *

**They're like a big happy family just without Ezra, but we'll get there. Don't worry. There is Ezria in the next chapter so be prepared. I hope you reading this chapter as much as I liked writing it! Please review and tell me what you think:)**


	7. Chapter 7

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

It's said that you don't appreciate something until it's gone and Aria had definitely witnessed the truth of that statement numerous times in her life. Going to New York only enhanced the phrase even more. As a teenager growing up in Rosewood she had taken so many little things for granted. But things had changed since that time. She had seen what else was out there and none of it compared to her hometown.

That was why Aria had the new obsession of walking everywhere she went even when she always had Spencer's car at her disposal. Though both New York and Rosewood had sidewalks and both were made up of concrete, they were completely different. Rosewood sidewalks were welcoming.

It was one of those things that Aria didn't appreciate as a teenager. She hadn't realized how something as simple as a sidewalk could come to mean so much a couple of years down the road.

"What are you thinking about?" Ali asked as they walked up Main Street. Since Aria had returned, the two of them hadn't really done anything. Aria had helped Hanna at her salon. She had gone on a picnic with Emily and Sadie. She was living with Spencer. But she hadn't done anything with Ali.

Never one to be left out, Ali had invited her to lunch which they did at the Rosewood Grille. They had just finished and were now walking along the sidewalks of the small town with no destination in mind. The weather was perfect: not too hot, not too cold. The sky that day was extra blue and Aria was sure that Sadie was among the first to pick up on that.

Ever since their dinner five days ago, Ella, Mike, and Zach had all been spending as much time as possible with the two year old which was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was good because Aria never had trouble finding a babysitter. It was bad because she was spending less time with Sadie than she had in New York, which was something she really didn't like. Hopefully after a little while things would settle down and Sadie's fame would die down.

"Just about my mom and how she's practically abducted my daughter," Aria replied.

"Speaking of Sadie, when are you going to tell Ezra that he's a dad?" Ali asked, watching Aria carefully. Ali had never liked secrets unless she was the one keeping them and they could be used for blackmail on a future date. Sometimes she wouldn't spill the beans just so that she could dangle the secret in someone's face and watch them squirm. This was one thing though that she thought shouldn't remain a secret. Ezra needed to know that Aria had had his child.

"I don't know," Aria shrugged honestly. She had yet to come up with a good way to tell him the news.

Ali's eyes narrowed, "You are going to tell him, right?" She could tell that Aria was hesitant and so she went on, "You've kept her from him for almost three years now. He deserves the opportunity to be a part of her life."

Aria bit her lip. "I know that but it's not exactly something you can say over the phone. It needs to be at the right time."

Her answer wasn't completely satisfying but Ali let it slide. At one point in her life she would have pressed her further, but she had matured enough to know where the limits were.

"Are you glad to be back?" Ali asked after a minute of walking in silence.

There was no hesitation this time. Aria nodded instantly, "I am so glad to be back. If I had chosen to leave by my own free will and because I wanted to, it would have been different and I might have liked it better because I could still visit. Being forced to leave and never return was bad. You can probably relate."

Ali thought back to the two years that she had been gone. Though her situation was slightly different than Aria's, she could relate. For a long time she had wanted to go back home but it wasn't safe. She knew how good it felt to go home. But the reception she received when returning home was obviously different than Aria's just because of the fact that there was a whole 'army' awaiting her arrival and making her life horrible.

"You can leave Rosewood but Rosewood never leaves you," Ali quoted softly.

A truck pulled up and parked on the curb next to them. The driver rolled down the window and called Ali's name. The two went closer and Aria finally figured out who was driving.

Jason DiLaurentis had always been a shady person. There were the times when he was so high that he had no memory of things that happened. There were the times when he was sober and extremely dark. Then there was the brief time that Aria had a slight crush on him whilst dating Ezra. The last time that she saw him was at his mother's funeral.

"What?" Ali asked, slightly annoyed at being interrupted.

"You promised dad that you would be at the office by 1:30. It's 1:26. You need to go."

Ali pulled out her phone and confirmed the time. "Ugh. I promised my dad that I would help him sort some files this afternoon. I've got to go."

Aria nodded and waved as she slid into the passenger seat of Jason's truck. The car quickly pulled away leaving Aria alone on the sidewalk.

She watched the white truck until it could no longer be seen and then looked around. There were quite a few people out on the park benches or outside tables eating lunch. The playground had quite a few kids darting in and out of the slides and ladders while their parents gossiped about this or that. The roads were quite busy as people were returning to work from their lunch breaks.

She continued in the direction that they had been walking for no reason other than she had nothing else to do. Sadie should be napping at her grandma's house and she wouldn't want to disturb that. And as of yet she didn't have a job so that wasn't a worry. She didn't have to buy groceries or stop by the bank or any of the other things that were daily errands in New York.

It was almost boring.

The Brew was just up the street and Aria walked in that direction. Maybe Emily was working there and if not she could always read To Kill a Mockingbird for the umpteenth time since she currently had a copy of it in her bag.

As soon as she stepped through the door, a blast of cool air hit her. It wasn't so much that it was uncomfortable but it was still quite noticeable.

Aria looked at the counter but there was no sign of Emily which wasn't really surprising. With everything happening with her dad and what not she had probably taken some time off. Being the manager only second to Zach, she had a lot of leniency when it came to work hours.

She sighed and started over to the couch where she could curl up for a moment and disappear into a different world for a while. A waitress that Aria didn't know asked if she could help her with anything as she walked by to which she politely declined. She slung her bag off of her shoulder and pulled out the timeless classic that had made its way into every English class in America.

It only took two seconds for her to become completely immersed in the well-worn pages, totally oblivious to the surrounding world. The plot had always captivated her and the characters were intriguing. It never got too old and that's why she was able to lose herself in it every time without fail. Boo Radley and Jem and Atticus became her reality as she submerged herself into the storyline with no intention of leaving it anytime soon.

* * *

Eye-catching. That was one term that was always applicable to Aria Montgomery. She was like a magnet that drew his attention to her. That's why being her English teacher had been so hard.

There he would be at the front of the classroom giving a lecture on the idea behind a book and then she would look up at him through her long lashes and smile slightly, making it hard for him to remember what he was saying. Sometimes it made him look like an idiot who couldn't get a sentence out, but that was the effect she had on him.

Some students, actually most students, had picked up on that fact that Mr. Fitz was completely enraptured by the minute brunette. That's how the rumors got started and they spread through the whole student body of Rosewood High. Aria had received anonymous texts (not all from A) about her being into older men or being a slut because of the way the young English teacher looked at her, but Ezra couldn't help himself. Keeping his eyes away from her was like keeping a moth from a flame. Impossible.

Mentally he berated himself for those looks because he wasn't the one who took the fallout. She was. And though he knew the effects it was having on her, he still couldn't keep his gaze from her, nor did he want to. He didn't want to miss a single thing. He didn't want to miss one smile or one eye-rolling or one scowl. He didn't want to miss when her eyebrows furrowed or when her nose scrunched up or when she nervously bit the inside of her lip. He loved all of those little things about her, and that's why he couldn't look away.

For over a year he was so used to her being everywhere: his classroom, his apartment, the sidewalk, the Grille, the Brew. Whatever the occasion or the place, she would always be the first thing that he saw. It didn't matter what else was going on, his eyes would instantly go to her. She was always his magnet.

Even three year's absence couldn't change that. The moment he stepped through the door of the Brew he saw her curled up on the end of the couch, completely enthralled with whatever it was she was reading. He had seen her like that multiple times in class and sometimes she'd completely forget about the discussion at hand.

The times when she did that didn't really bother him. One thing that he had learned about Aria was that she applied herself completely and felt everything so deeply. There wasn't a middle ground where she was concerned. If she was reading she would become a character and follow the others through the dark, dilapidated building. If she was feeling guilty she would almost let that guilt consume her. If she was happy it showed clearly in her eyes and she would spread it with everyone around.

He checked his watch. He had shown up fourteen minutes earlier than he had to which meant that he could have fourteen minutes to try to talk to Aria, or he could wait for a time when they wouldn't have a time limit. He weighed the two options in his head before deciding that any time with her would be better than none. And he knew that he needed to jump at the opportunity to get answers from her. She had said that she needed space and thus far he had respected that but it had been almost a week since their conversation on the phone and she hadn't contacted him once.

As he approached the couch he finally got a clear glance at the cover. To Kill a Mockingbird. His mind instantly flashed back to his 1st period English class four years previously. The first book they covered was the one that she was now reading. She was so engrossed that she didn't even notice that he had approached.

"You know, that book was praised because of its colorful exploration into small town life. The readers loved it and they appreciated its honesty when it came to prejudice and hypocrisy. The critics appreciated the use of metaphors and lyrical imagery. Although there were some who thought that the author had cheated by making the narrator too perceptive for a seven year old," Ezra began, falling back on his teaching lecture to begin the conversation.

Aria looked up from her book with a startled expression. She hadn't even seen him enter and yet there he was.

"Do you think that the author took liberties with the narrator's voice?" he asked, watching her carefully with his blue eyes.

She was quick to pick up on the facts that 1: he was scrutinizing her every move and 2: that was almost the exact same wording he used in her English class a few years back. Aria smirked, "I think whoever said that missed the point." Two could play that game.

"Oh, ok. Go on."

"The author told the story from an adult's perspective from things she remembered as a kid, things that she was passionate about."

He stepped closer, "Do you think it's fair to apply that insight in retrospect?"

Aria raised her eyebrows. She couldn't believe that he remembered this conversation as well as she did, but then again he had always remembered the little things she had told him. "Yeah, why not. Kids see a lot, probably more than adults. They just don't have the words yet to express their feelings." As she said that she couldn't help but think of Sadie. She was always watching and observing and she most definitely saw a lot. But, being a two year old, she wasn't capable of forming those observations into sentences.

"Why do they see more?" he asked quietly.

"Because they're curious," Aria answered without hesitation. For some reason this conversation had always stuck out in her head. Maybe it was because she had made him squirm a little bit. "And they act on their feelings."

"And you think that adults have lost that ability? To act on their feelings?"

She shook her head, "Not the lucky ones."

Ezra narrowed his eyes slightly, "And what happens to those people who are unable to act on their feelings?"

Aria smirked, "They get very frustrated." She placed her bookmark in and then put the book back in her bag and sat up straighter. "I can't believe you remembered that."

Ezra just shrugged and sat on the chair across from her. "You were always fascinated by that book."

"I had a fantastic English teacher that could make you love anything."

Ezra smiled. "Oh really?"

Aria nodded with a solemn expression. "Really." She waited in silence for him to ask the questions that she could see burning on his mind. She knew that this conversation was going to happen sooner or later, but she had been opting for the latter option.

"How have you been?" he asked politely, his hands twisting nervously. There was a time when they were never nervous around each other but that time had ended when she left. Now he was overly cautious. He didn't want to let himself fall for her again if she was going to leave again. Once a heart is broken once, the pieces are big enough to put back together again. Once a heart it broken twice by the same person, there is no way to gather the shattered fragments and reshape them into the heart they used to be.

"Ezra, I know that you didn't come over here to have a chat about the weather. Ask me anything. I'll answer honestly."

He looked at her with his deep blue eyes. He had so many questions among the foremost of those being where to begin? He let out a slow breath. There were as many questions in his mind as there were emotions in his heart. And they were all conflicting. There was anger for her breaking his heart yet relief that she was safe. There was bitterness for the days he had spent thinking about her yet wonder that she was here sitting before him again when he thought that he had lost her forever. There was regret for the past yet hope for the future.

"Are you going to leave again?" he finally asked.

This question surprised Aria. She had suspected that he would ask about her past choices rather than her future decisions. "No. Not if I can help it."

"What do you mean if you can help it?"

"I mean that sometimes life takes you places that you don't want to go."

He thought about that for a moment. "Is that why you left in the first place? Because life took you there?"

Aria shook her head and answered while playing with a loose string on the bottom of her shirt. "No, I left because A took me there."

There were so many ways that he could interpret that last comment. "Aria, I can't read your mind. You have to give me more than that."

The brunette took a minute to collect her thoughts. She didn't dare tell him about Sadie, not yet. So she had to tell a story composed completely of true details yet omitting the major ones. That's a lot harder than one might imagine.

"A thought that I knew something about their identity, which I didn't. Like you already know, A didn't have any reservations when it came to hurting people. Ali almost died numerous times. Once A thought I knew something, I became the top of the kill list. I don't think I slept at all after the first murder attempt. I thought that if I stuck with the girls I would be safe, but when Emily and I were almost killed I realized that my friends were just obstacles in A's way and I was putting them in danger." Aria shuddered as she recalled the stories that led to her leaving. None of them were in any way pretty. She had been completely terrified and alone for almost two weeks before the final event that caused her to run.

Ezra watched her carefully, reading the expressions that crossed her face as easily as he read the pages of a book.

"And A wasn't stupid enough to make any of these things obvious. No one knew about them. Not my friends. Not my family. Not you. It was just me. And I was getting ready to tell someone when A made another attempt that was so close to being a success."

The thought of Aria almost dying was enough to terrify Ezra.

"And after that I ran. I knew that if I stayed I would die or someone else that was close to me would and I couldn't put them in danger." Again Aria's shoulders shook as she recounted the weeks preceding her departure. They were the scariest days of her life. Worse than that Halloween in Ravenswood. Worse than the Halloween train. Worse than the days when she thought that Ezra was A. The only thing that could even compare was the night that he was shot, the night that she almost lost him.

"I took a train to Philly thinking that A wouldn't follow me. I was wrong. One day I got back to the hotel I had rented using money I had saved and there was a note signed by A that said that if I ever contacted anyone I would die. And then whoever I talked to would also die. From what I had been through I knew that A wasn't kidding and I couldn't put anyone else in the situation that I had been."

"So you didn't contact anyone?"

Aria bit her lip. "I managed to call Spencer twice without A catching me. I told her where I was and where I was going and what was going on. She understood but said that I should go back anyways. I was going to listen but I found out something that was a game-changer and I couldn't go back to Rosewood no matter how much I wanted to."

The fact that she had talked to Spencer and not to him hurt him like no other words had done before. He wasn't the type of person that she could turn to when she needed someone most and he blamed himself for that.

Aria paused for a moment and finally took her gaze off of the hem of her shirt. Seeing the sadness in his eyes was almost unbearable. Her eyes filled with the tears that she had been holding back for a little while now and she quickly wiped at them before they managed to leak onto her cheeks.

"Why didn't you call me? I would've protected you in an instant." His voice was so empty yet over-filling with emotion.

"That's what I was scared of. Last time you were protecting me you got shot and almost died and I couldn't go through that again. Almost losing you was more painful than anything A could ever do to me and there was no way I would survive if you didn't." She wanted to badly to grab his hands or make any contact that would calm her down a little but she didn't. She knew he was angry with her and rightfully so.

"Aria, my life couldn't mean less to me where you're concerned. Did you not think about how much it hurt me when you left? Did you not think about how much I blamed myself? Do you have any idea the amount of pain you leaving caused me?" Those words were insensitive and he realized that as soon as they left his mouth.

As he saw the effect his words had on her, he instantly wished that he could unsay them but the damage was done. The tears began trickling down her cheeks and she wiped angrily at them. His eyes became red as well.

"How insensitive do you think I am?" she whispered, her hazel eyes catching his and holding them with an iron grip.

"I'm so sorry, Aria. Really I-"

She cut him off. "I thought about you every day when I was gone. _Every day._ Out of everyone that I had to leave behind, you were the hardest. You were the one that never left my mind. You were the reason I haven't gone on one single date since I left. You were the reason that it took me two hours to fall asleep every night because I wasn't in your apartment with you," she said in a harsh whisper, the tears falling more quickly than they had been.

"That was so insensitive of me. I'm so sorry," he apologized. He was supposed to help her open up make her feel better but he had done the exact opposite. _Idiot._

"Look, can we take this somewhere where we aren't being watched?" she asked, her voice still hard.

He pulled his phone out and found that it was now 2:07. "I've actually got something that was supposed to start at two. Someone's supposed to be here by now."

Ezra turned in his seat and saw who he was waiting for walk through the door and start in his direction.

Aria wiped the tears off of her face, grabbed her bag, and stood up as fast as she could manage. "I understand. Please don't call me or stop by or anything. I still need my space."

Ezra stood up as well to try to explain, "Aria, wait-"

Aria didn't wait though. She quickly stormed past him and out of the door and he could do nothing but watch her go. He ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. If he hadn't been such an idiot and thought of only himself, she would still be there. And now she wouldn't open up again because he had been so stupid while she was so vulnerable. He might never get that answers he had waited for.

The tall blonde grabbed her drink from the counter and paid the cashier before finally making her way to where he stood.

"Whoever that was seemed pretty upset. What did you do to make her so mad?"

"That answer is too long to relate in a single sitting," Ezra sighed dejectedly. The list of his wrong-doings seemingly stretched on for forever in his mind.

Simone looked at the door where the brunette had just left. "Who was it?"

"Aria Montgomery."

Her eyebrows shot up. "What? I thought that you said she just disappeared. How in the world did you make her so mad? Did you give her a bad grade when she was in you class or something?"

Ezra shook her head, "No, she got all A's. And she just came back. But we still have that reservation that we have to get to, so let's go."

Simone shrugged off whatever scene she had witnessed when she walked in and followed him to his car where he opened the door for her.

Then Ezra slowly walked around to the driver's seat and climbed in. One thing that he could always do was upset a woman and he didn't want to make two mad in one day so he forced a smile and a cheerful attitude. Simone was always such a happy person and he didn't want to bring that down.

"Shall we go?" she asked brightly.

He offered a fake smile and started the engine before pulling onto the street. Unbeknownst to him his knuckles were all white from clutching the steering wheel so hard as he let a little of his frustration out.

* * *

Aria sat alone on a park bench. That was the first place she thought to go after her meeting with Ezra. It was quiet and she could be alone. She wasn't ready for the questions that would come from her parents or friends if they saw her in the state that she was. Her swollen eyes were a dead giveaway that something wasn't right.

But at the moment, nothing really seemed alright anymore. For the past week she had been avoiding him but she had still been able to be happy. Now that she knew that he had moved on, there was no way she could ever smile again.

Part of her hated him for moving on, yet another more reasonable part knew that it was bound to happen. She couldn't expect him to wait for her until he died. It wasn't fair. In a way, it was good that he had found someone that he could love again.

The thought of him loving someone that wasn't her didn't seem right, though. Not after everything they had been through together. She had always thought that someday she would return home and he would welcome her with open arms and they would rekindle their romance. He would love Sadie and care for them and it would all be simple. But life never was that simple and happily ever afters only happened in fairytales.

A tear splashed onto her hands that were resting on her lap. She didn't make any move to dry her wet cheeks though. It would be of no use because the tears would just keep coming, following the same path down her face until they reached the bottom where they would fall onto her arms.

She furrowed her eyebrows, thinking back on her life and realizing that every time she had cried, truly cried, had been because of him. No one else had that kind of power over her heart. He alone had the capability to make her break down completely.

And the things that he had said about her not thinking about him or not caring about how her leaving affected him killed her. Though he apologized, she didn't think he understood just how much they had hurt her or how untrue they were. If he thought for one moment that she had gotten off easy, he was wrong.

He didn't understand. How dare he even imply that she didn't care? After everything she had explained to him, how could he think that it had been easy for her?

A little bit of anger flared in her. She wasn't going to let herself cry about what once was. He was seeing someone else as was his right. His life didn't have to be put on hold while she left. And Aria was stronger than that. Her years away from Rosewood had made her a tougher person and she wouldn't allow herself to break down no matter how much it hurt. She had to be stronger for Sadie.

Her phone rang and she pulled it out and answered without bothering to look at the caller I.D. It wouldn't be Ezra; he was on a date.

"Aria, hi. Where are you?" It was her mom.

"I'm at the park. Why?"

Her mom switched the phone to the other ear and began slipping on her shoes. "I need to drop off Sadie. Zach's brother-in-law was just in an accident so we're going to go to Harrisburg to help his sister out. Are you alright to take her?"

"Of course." Aria was actually glad that her mom was bringing her. Sadie could always cheer her up no matter what mood she was in.

"Okay. She just woke up and I'm grabbing her things but I'll see you in a couple of minutes."

"Thanks. Bye, mom." Aria ended the call and set her phone down. She quickly dried her tears and straightened her top before checking her reflection on her phone's screen. She didn't look stellar by any means, but she also didn't look like she had just balled her eyes out. And her mom was in a hurry so hopefully she wouldn't notice anything. Hopefully.

Aria walked over to the sidewalk where her mother could find her quicker and get to whatever of Zach's relatives she had talked about. She really didn't know anything about his family except that he had a cousin who had gone to jail for two months because he stole thirty-seven packages of paper clips from a grocery store. Somehow her mom's boyfriend had managed to work that story into their conversation over dinner that first night.

After a minute she saw her mother's car pull around the corner with Zach in the driver's seat. He looked calm and collected as usual but he must be a little concerned. But then again her mother hadn't mentioned how severe the accident had been so maybe it wasn't anything terribly serious.

The car came to a stop at the curb and Ella stepped out of the passenger seat and opened the back door. She disappeared for a second as she bent down and then reappeared with Sadie in her arms. She also had Sadie's bunny and blanket which were necessities whenever she took a nap.

"Hey, sorry to have to bail like this," Aria's mom apologized as she came closer to hand Sadie over.

"It's no problem. Really. How's Zach's cousin? I mean, is he alright?"

Ella smiled, "Brother-in-law, but yeah. He got a little scraped up and might have a broken leg but he'll be fine."

Aria blushed a little at getting the relation wrong. "Well, have a good time."

Her mom nodded and set Sadie down next to her mom and then handed her the blanket and bunny. "I'm not exactly sure that's the definition of a good time, but sure. We'll try."

Aria smiled and waved as Ella got in the car again and Zach pulled away, leaving her and Sadie alone on the sidewalk.

"How was grandma's house?" Aria asked her daughter.

Sadie stuck out her bottom lip. "She made me take a nap."

Aria laughed. "Good for her."

Sadie looked up at her with a not-amused expression and Aria picked her up. "We're going to go back to Spencer's, okay?"

The two year old nodded and placed the bunny on Aria's shoulder as she started walking. Once she thought it was stable she let go of it and the stuffed animal actually stayed on for a few seconds before falling forwards on to her lap.

This frustrated the toddler so she tried again but the bunny fell twice, and then a third time. On the fourth time it fell backwards and Sadie had to tug on Aria's sleeve to get her to stop. The young mother looked at Sadie who pointed behind them at where the off white bunny was lying on the sidewalk.

Aria turned around and awkwardly picked it up. It was sort of a struggle with a little girl on one hip, a phone in her hands, and a bag on her other side but somehow she managed. When she handed it back to Sadie, she kissed the top of its head. "He got hurt."

Aria raised her eyebrows and had to sidestep quickly to avoid running into a fire hydrant that she almost hadn't seen. "It's a boy bunny?" Though Sadie had had that bunny since the day she was born she had never made a gender specification and Aria had never asked.

"Yeah. He hurt he head."

"Does he have a name now?" Aria looked over at the little animal. For so long it was nameless and genderless. Now it was finally getting an identity. It was monumental. Not really, but maybe for Sadie it was.

She shook her head, her brown hair falling into her face in the process. That reminded Aria that she had forgotten to brush her hair that morning before sending her to her grandma's house. How responsible of her. "No name. It's just bunny."

So maybe the bunny wouldn't get a name, but it was progress. Aria nodded and they continued walking to Spencer's house which they arrived at in about fifteen minutes after having to stop to pick up the bunny four times.

Aria signed and set Sadie down on the porch. Her arms were slightly sore from carrying her daughter that whole way but it wasn't bad. Had Hanna or any of her other friends tried carrying her for that far, their arms would've fallen off but Aria was used to it.

She pushed open the door without even knocking and stepped in prepared to tell Spencer about her encounter with Ezra. Her mind was changed as soon as she entered the kitchen though.

Spencer was sitting across the table from a man. Once they both turned to look at her she distinguished who the man was. She didn't know that Spencer was seeing anyone at the current moment. "Spencer, Wren, hi. I'm sorry to interrupt. I just needed to grab…" she looked around for something that she could use as an excuse, "Sadie's jacket. And the keys."

"Oh, it's no problem, Aria. It's good to see you again," Wren said in his British accent. Though Aria had never really paid the young doctor any attention she always had thought that his accent was kind of cute.

"Yeah, likewise," she said with a smile and turned to grab Sadie's jacket and the keys to Spencer's car. "Alright, goodbye."

Wren waved to Sadie. "Are you coming back later?" Spencer asked.

Aria thought for a moment. If this was a date she didn't want to interrupt anything. "Probably not. I think I'll go stay at my dad's house tonight."

"He's still at that conference in Boston isn't he?"

Aria shrugged, "I know where he keeps the key. It'll be fine. You two have fun." Aria and Sadie left without even grabbing a change of clothing. For Aria that wouldn't really be a problem since she hadn't really changed in size since her days as a teenager. And worst case scenario Sadie just wears one of her smallest shirts as a sort of night gown thing.

The drive to her old house was something she hadn't done since being back in Rosewood. It brought a whole torrent of memories as she passed the neighbor's house that had the annoying little Pomeranian and then the house that had always scared her as a little girl and then the house that Mike had toilet papered on more than one occasion.

Seeing her childhood house again took her back to family dinners and movie nights and talking to her mom in her bedroom. It brought back the memories of fighting with Mike or slamming the bathroom door dramatically or spending countless hours in front of the mirror trying to make sure that everything was perfect.

She parked the car in the driveway and helped Sadie out. Hand in hand they walked up to the front door and Aria pulled the key out from the windowsill where it had been for as long as she remembered it. She inserted the key into the slot and jiggled it for a minute before finally being able to turn it. The doorknob was a little old fashioned and it was about time that her dad needed to get a new one.

Sadie followed her as she walked into the front area of her house and kicked off her shoes. Not much had changed since she left. The furniture was in the same place although it was all slightly dirty. She walked closer to the mantle and found that it was covered in a thick layer of dust that made her sneeze. Her dad wasn't a particularly messy person, but he had never done well when it came to sweeping or mopping or dusting. Maybe she could clean the place up for him while she was there.

"Where are we?" Sadie asked as she walked in a little further and turned around in a slow circle.

"This is where mommy used to live," Aria said. "And we're going to clean it so that when your grandpa comes home it'll be nice."

She scrunched her nose up. "I don't like cleaning."

"But it would be really nice if he could come home to a clean house. Can you help me?" Aria squatted down so that she was eye level with her toddler.

Sadie nodded and hugged Aria around the neck quickly. "Yes, mommy."

Aria smiled. "Alright, go set your bunny and blanket on the couch and I will go find a rag and some dusting polish. Just give me a second."

She left Sadie and went to the closet where her mom had always stored the cleaning supplies. She wasn't actually sure if her dad would have remained stocked in that department so she might need to make a quick trip to the store.

The closet was so full of coats and boots that she could hardly see anything but with the assistance of a stool she was able to find what she was looking for and she brought it back to the kitchen. Sadie was standing in the exact same place that she had left her. Aria smiled. Sometimes she was a little too obedient.

"Okay. I'm going to spray this stuff and then we need to wipe it with these rags. But first I'm going to pull your hair into a ponytail so that it won't get in your eyes."

Sadie turned around so that Aria could quickly comb her fingers through her hair and then pull it back into a ponytail using the pony she always had on her wrist for situations such as this. Then she handed a rag to Sadie and together they started the impossible task of getting her old house to smell less like an abandoned building.

Aria figured that it would be best to start from the top and work their way down. She didn't want to sweep the floor and then have dust from the shelves fall on it and have to re-sweep the floors. So they started on the fans and washing the blades off and then moved down to the blinds and the shelves. After that they washed the mopboards and then switched their rags out for window cleaner and paper towels.

It took almost an hour to get to that point but there was still so much to do. They then shook the rugs, swept the floors, wiped the counters, cleaned the toilets, and whatever Aria saw that needed work.

In almost two hours they had finished with the main floor. "We did so good Sadie. Doesn't this look better?" She lifted her hand and gave her daughter a high five.

Sadie nodded, "Are we done now?"

"You can be done and I'll go see how the upstairs looks," Aria answered.

Sadie sat on the floor dramatically and sighed. "Okay."

Aria took the steps slowly and when she reached the second floor she purposefully skipped her room. She didn't want to go in there, not yet.

The upper floor was in the same condition as the main floor had been. Aria wasn't really surprised. If her dad wasn't going to clean the main floor, why would he clean the second floor as well?

She set to work, this time without Sadie. It took a lot less time upstairs and she was finished everywhere except for her room in only thirty minutes. She had made sure to check on Sadie every couple of minutes as was her motherly instinct to do. Last time she had seen her she was on the couch looking through one of her father's history magazines. It didn't seem like it would be particularly interesting but the two year old wasn't complaining so Aria just let it happen.

Aria replaced all of the supplies in the closet and then went back to find Sadie who was no longer on the couch. She quickly checked the whole main floor but there was no sign of her. She wasn't outside either which meant that somehow she had slipped upstairs without being noticed. She called her name up the stairs but received no reply which worried her just a tad bit.

The young mother quickly went up the stairs, taking them by twos. It didn't take her long to find her once she was up there.

Her old bedroom door was opened and Aria walked in to find Sadie sitting on her bed with a picture frame clutched in between her two petite hands. She was looking at it intently and didn't even notice her walk in. Her little feet were dangling off of the side of the bed and Aria wasn't quite sure how she had gotten up since the bed was almost taller than her.

She only had to look at the frame to know what the picture was.

She sighed slowly and went over to sit beside her daughter on her bed. The picture that she was holding showed her and Ezra, him in one of his teaching vests and a tie and her in a green shirt. That was one of the few pictures they had taken together just because of the fact that their relationship was one hundred percent illegal. Nonetheless, they both were so happy and content.

That frame had been on her nightstand since a few months after they told her parents, when her mom and dad were finally starting to accept the fact that their daughter was dating her English teacher. She had half expected her father to have taken the picture away by that point, but he hadn't.

Sadie was still looking over every detail of the picture, sometimes leaning in so she could see something better. Though Aria had never shown Sadie a picture of her dad, Sadie seemed to sense that that was him.

She finally took her gaze off of the picture and looked up at her mom. "Is this my daddy?" she whispered.

Aria nodded and pulled Sadie closer to her side.

"Where is he?"

"Your daddy isn't here right now."

Sadie got a concerned look in her eyes. "Why not?"

Her expression made Aria want to cry. "He is at his house."

"Why?"

How did she even answer that? Aria really didn't now. Why was he at his house rather than there with them? Well, the answer was actually quite simple. He didn't know that she existed and that broke Aria's heart yet again.

"Your daddy has other things that he has to take care of. But I'm sure if your daddy could be here he would be."

Sadie's blue eyes became questioning. "Does he love me?"

Aria stroked her daughter's hair softly, "Sadie, one day your daddy will meet you. He will hug you and kiss you and hold your hand when you're scared. He will take you to the movies or to the park or to buy ice cream. And he will love you very much."

She set the picture on the bed beside her and then turned to Aria and grasped her hands tightly. "Promise?"

"I promise." Aria said with as much of a reassuring smile as she could manage, sincerely hoping that she wasn't lying.

Sadie let go of her hands and nodded.

Aria pulled her daughter into her arms, "But until your daddy does get here, just know that your mommy loves you very, very much, Sadie."

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**Just so y'all know, that conversation between Aria and Ezra did really happen, they just didn't include it in the episode and it can be found in the deleted scenes of season one or on YouTube. It's cute. You should look it up if you haven't seen it. Anywho, I love hearing back from you guys so please tell me what you honestly think:)**


	8. Chapter 8

**~What Once Was Lost~**

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**Before I start this chapter I just wanted to thank you guys for the reviews! They are so sweet and they make this story worth writing. Also, I promise everything will work out. Some things aren't as they seem so be patient and it will all play out. Everything that has happened thus far has happened for a reason, a reason that is for me to know and for you to find out as you continue reading and reviewing. Again, thank you and enjoy this chapter!**

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Aria and Sadie returned to Spencer's house at about 10:00 the next morning. They had spent the evening watching movies in the living room and reading through some of Aria's childhood books that had been boxed up and put in storage. The next morning they went to the Brew for breakfast because her dad's fridge only had curdled milk, a moldy loaf of bread, and fruit that was so mushy and bruised that even the flies wouldn't want it.

"Why did we stay at Grampa's house last night?" Sadie asked as they walked up to Spencer's door. She still had part of her bagel in one hand and a banana peel in the other. Spencer's garbage can was kept behind the gate that led to the backyard and so Sadie was waiting patiently to dispose of it.

"Because Spencer had company. I didn't want to get in her way," Aria answered as she opened the door. She had texted Spencer to make sure that Wren was gone, not because she didn't like him but because she didn't want to interrupt. The two of them were already intruding in Spencer's house and they didn't need to in her love life as well.

Sadie walked through the door that Aria had held open for her and instantly made her way to the kitchen garbage can. Aria shut the door softly and slipped her shoes off. She was wearing an old set of pajamas that she had found right where she had left them three years ago.

Aria had sort of assumed that her parents would have gotten rid of some of her stuff. Her clothes could go to church fundraisers. Her books could be given to an old library. The fact that they kept them showed her that they hadn't given up on her. They still had hoped that she would return.

And Aria understood her parent's feelings. If Sadie went missing on some future date she would always leave the porch light on no matter how many years it had been. You can't just give up on someone you love as much as a parent loves their child.

Aria set Spencer's keys in the drawer where they belonged before going to the kitchen where she found Sadie standing on the kitchen next to the sink. Spencer was behind her with a hand placed on her back and the two of them were looking at something outside of the window.

She went over to join them and Spencer pointed at what had caught their attention.

A little hummingbird flitted in and out of the flowering branches of the crabapple tree in Spencer's backyard. Its wings looked like nothing but a blur as it darted in and out of view through the pink blossoms. Occasionally the bird would stop moving and just hover for a second over a large flower, allowing them to get a better view of the small creature.

"That's rare. Normally we get the ruby throated hummingbirds here. That one's a calliope hummingbird. See the magenta feathers on its neck?" Spencer said, not taking her gaze from the petite bird.

Aria narrowed her eyes a little bit before finally seeing what her friend had been referring to. For a brief second she got a clear glance at the colored feathers that contrasted quite beautifully from the green of its back. "It's amazing," Aria said with a smile.

She looked over at Sadie who had her little hands pressed up against the glass of the window and kept her eyes locked on the bird. "Do you like it, Sadie?" Spencer asked the toddler.

Sadie nodded, "It's pretty."

It was the perfect spring scene with the pink, flowering tree, the thick, green grass, and the petite, flying visitor. The sun was shining overhead and wasn't obscured by any clouds. A slight breeze ruffled the leaves of the sycamore tree. Up in the foliage birds sang songs to each other.

"Let's go outside," Aria abruptly said. "You have things that you need to tell me about, and I have things that I need to tell you, and Sadie can play. Plus, it's beautiful out there right now and the perfect weather."

Spencer stepped back from the counter and lifted Sadie onto the floor. "You don't have to convince me, Aria. I'm game. Although we have guests coming at 2:00 so we just have to be ready by then."

Aria raised her eyebrows, "Visitors? For us?"

Spencer nodded, "Yeah. I told them we would have lunch ready when they got here. And the answer to your next question is no. I can't tell you who they are because they want it to be a surprise."

Aria shrugged and took Sadie's hand as they walked out of the backdoor and onto Spencer's carefully manicured lawn. None of them bothered to put shoes on as each enjoyed the feeling of grass between their toes.

Spencer and Aria sat next to each other on a swing that sat in the shade of a sycamore tree. Spencer used her foot to gently push the swing so that there was just a gentle rock and Aria pulled her legs up beside her.

Sadie went over and lay on her stomach on the grass next to one of the flowerbeds. She enjoyed watching the little ants as the climbed up the slender stems or seeing the ladybugs land on the soft petals. That was enough to entertain the little girl for hours on end. She really was easily entertained.

"So you said that I had some stuff I needed to tell you. What stuff were you referring to?" Spencer asked, looking over at the small brunette who was watching her daughter with a soft smile.

Aria pulled her attention from Sadie and met Spencer's eyes, "I don't know. You're the one telling me. But it might have something to do with a cute, British doctor that goes by the name Wren. Are you together?"

Spencer got a faraway look in her eyes and she thought back to the night before. "I'm not really sure. He came over last night and we had dinner then went on a walk around town. It went well and I think we both had a lot of fun. But I don't really know where that leaves us. I mean, he held my hand and gave me a quick kiss as he was leaving, but I'm not sure."

Aria had always loved the talks that you could only have with your friends, like the talks about boys. Moms often made the whole subject way more awkward than it had to be so this conversation occurred strictly within their group of five. "Well, do you like him?"

Spencer shrugged, "I'm not sure. He's a perfect gentleman. He is fun and easy-going and smart and talented. He also seems to get me. He's had exposure to my family and he has an idea of the pressure that I am constantly under. I don't really think that my parents like him, though. Not after everything that happened with Melissa."

"This isn't about your parents though. So what if they don't approve of him. I dated my English teacher, and my parents certainly didn't approve of that. My dad almost turned him into the police numerous times and had my mom not been there, Ezra would be wearing an orange jumpsuit. I swear that at one point my dad wanted to see him in the obituary section of the newspaper," Aria said. She certainly knew about disapproving parents.

Spencer smiled, "You didn't only date your English teacher. You had a little girl with him."

Aria rolled her eyes, "That is true but beside the point. What I'm saying is that if you love someone, it's worth fighting for no matter what the odds, no matter what the critics say."

Spencer raised her eyebrows, "Have you given that speech before?"

"Only to Mike," Aria shrugged. Though Mike had been the first one to physically take his anger out on the young English teacher, he had also been the first among the family to really accept it.

"I know it's just that my family isn't like yours. They're capable of giving someone hypothermia with a single glare. And I don't want to subject anyone to that."

"Spence, if you wait for a guy who lives up to the Hastings' standard, you will end up being an old woman that sits in a rocking chair and knits socks with her seventy-two cats and two canaries."

Spencer gave her the infamous Hastings' look. "Aria, seventy-two cats and two canaries wouldn't be a good combination. The cats would eat the canaries and all I would have left would be seventy-two cats and some yellow feathers."

Aria furrowed her eyebrows as she thought about that scenario. "Not if you kept them locked up in a little bird cage."

"Cats can actually be quite smart and same with birds. One of them would figure the latch out and they would inevitably get out. And even though canaries can fly, the cats would pounce on the furniture and probably break some vases or picture frames or something to try to catch them. I would come home with two canaries flying near the roof and seventy-two cats jumping all over and scratching the upholstery and it wouldn't be pretty," Spencer said.

Aria couldn't believe that Spencer really had to be right when they were having a theoretical conversation about canaries. But then again, she was Spencer. Spencer was a Hastings. Hastings were always right. "Buy a padlock to keep the door shut."

Spencer rolled her eyes, "No one padlocks their canary cages shut, Aria. Seriously."

Exasperated, Aria finally gave up the canary idea, "Fine. No canaries. Just you and your seventy-two cats and fifty-three different shades of yarn."

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't need fifty-three shades of yarn. I think that I could probably manage with only thirty-seven," Spencer replied.

Aria looked at her with wide eyes and then realized that she was kidding about that last part. Aria hit her shoulder lightly and shook her head. "You're impossible."

Spencer just smiled and it took them both a minute to remember how their canary conversation had even begun.

Aria was the first to do so. "Spencer, you deserve to be happy. If Wren or anyone else can make you that way you should let them. Being perfect isn't possible. Even with the high standards your parents set, neither you nor Melissa is perfect. And if you aren't perfect, you sure as heck can't expect a male to be."

Spencer nodded at the truth of that statement. Men were anything but perfect. "But what if Wren doesn't like me?"

Aria couldn't believe the insecurities that her friend was currently voicing. Spencer had always been calm and collected because that's how her parents raised her to be. "You're a beautiful, smart, talented, and caring woman, Spencer. Anyone around you can see that. And Wren's always had a soft spot for you."

She looked surprised, "He has?"

Aria rolled her eyes. "You know, even though you are one of the smartest people I know, you are also sometimes the blindest. You can tell that he has feelings for you in his eyes when he looks at or talks about you."

Spencer mulled that over in her head for a moment. "So what do I do?"

"Invite him over again. Let him know that you're interested. Don't push him away," Aria suggested.

"But what if he discovers how dysfunctional my family is and how many problems I have? He wouldn't want me to just dump all of my problems on him."

Aria shook her head. Spencer thought things through too much. She wasn't impulsive or wild like Aria was. You could look at a situation, find the most logical decision, and know exactly what Spencer would do. She wasn't spontaneous.

"You need to lighten up and stop analyzing everything like it's a CSI episode. And you have me and Hanna and Emily and Ali to dump all of your problems on. We're here for you. And if Wren likes you as much as I think he does, he wouldn't mind if you unload your concerns to him. He would just like the fact that you knew you could turn to him with anything."

"So I'm not too much of a basket-case for him to like me?" Spencer asked.

Aria shook her head, "Spencer, you're fine. He likes you. You like him. Just see where that goes."

Spencer agreed and let that subject drop. Both women turned their attention to Sadie who was still on her stomach by the flowerbed. Aria watched her closely and noticed that the only movement from her body was the gentle rise and fall of her back as she took deep breaths.

"I think she's asleep," Aria said with a smile. She swung her feet off of the swing and padded lightly to where her daughter lay. "Yeah, she's out like a light. Do I just leave her here or should I take her inside? Do you think she'll get sunburned?"

Spencer stood up and grabbed an umbrella from a small garden shed next to the house. She then opened it which brought a cloud of dust and propped it over the sleeping two year old to shield her from the sun. "Here, she'll be fine. We can bring her in when we go."

Aria nodded and they returned to their previous positions on the cushioned swing. "So do you ever miss Toby? What happened with him?" Aria asked. When she left they were still together and as far as she knew they weren't fighting or anything.

"Toby is a great guy he just wasn't the one for me. We're actually still really close, just not romantically." From Spencer's tone Aria could tell that she really was fine with it.

"So where is he? Like, what's going on with him?"

"He has a carpentry business where people hire him for various jobs. He has another kid that used to go to school with us help him. He's doing well and he's happy so that's good," Spencer replied. "If things go like I want and not like my parents want then I might work with him."

Ever since Aria could remember Spencer had wanted to be an interior designer. That was why her house looked like a model home. Her parents had always wanted her to go into law like they both had. Both Veronica and Peter Hastings were constantly pressuring her into following their career path.

Aria's parents were very different in that sense and she loved them for it. They had always encouraged her to be individual and to do what she wanted. They didn't place and barriers or limits when it came to what she would do after high school. Her future depended entirely on what she wanted to make of it and how hard she was willing to work for it, not depending on which classes her parents were willing to pay for or accept. She wouldn't get uninvited to Thanksgiving dinner if she didn't go into law.

"When are you going to talk to your parents about what you want to do?" Aria asked with a quizzical brow.

Spencer opened her mouth to reply but was cut off when Aria's cell phone started ringing.

Aria pulled it out of her pocket and turned it over to see who was calling. When she did she let out a low breath, and quickly pushed the decline button. She didn't want to talk to him right then. She was still annoyed at what had happened the previous day.

"What happened with Ezra? Why aren't you talking to him?" Spencer asked.

Aria shook her head slightly. "We were having a conversation about you remember. A stupid phone call doesn't need to interrupt that."

Spencer gave the Hastings' look to the small brunette. "Aria, we've been talking about me for the past half of an hour. It's time that we moved on to something that's not my depressing life. We need something happy."

"Well, I'm not sure I can help you out in the 'happy' department right now. At least, not where Ezra is concerned," Aria sighed.

"What happened? I mean, have you talked to him since that day in his classroom?" Spencer turned a little bit so that she was facing Aria.

"Yeah, he called me that day while we were in Philly and we talked. Not about anything serious. I asked him to give me space and he did. Then he saw me at the Brew and we talked and that didn't end well," Aria said dejectedly.

Spencer watched her friend with concerned eyes. "Care to elaborate?"

Aria didn't respond for a minute as she looked out at the beautiful morning. Even though it was almost noon the weather still wasn't really hot. The temperature had increased a little bit but the breeze was still there and kept it comfortable.

A few fluffy clouds had rolled in but the sky was still a bright blue. The hummingbird was long gone and now the crabapple tree was hosting another bird, maybe a robin or a sparrow. Aria couldn't quite tell. Either way it was pretty. The blossoms of the tree were a pink that you didn't normally find in nature. It was bright and springy and contrasted well against the green grass.

Her gaze then went down to Sadie who was still sleeping peacefully. The umbrella shaded all but the very tips of her feet and the breeze slightly blew her dark brown hair. Her face was turned away from them but Aria figured she probably had at least a few blades of grass softly tickling her cheeks.

Finally she turned her attention back to Spencer who was waiting patiently for a reply.

"We had a conversation and then he asked how I was and I told him that he could ask me anything and I would answer honestly. He asked a few things and then we got into why I left. I told him about A and the threats that I received about what would happen if I contacted anyone. He then learned that I called you and I think he got offended. By that point I was crying and then he said some things about me not caring and they hurt because that couldn't be further from the truth. I asked him if we could move the conversation somewhere away from the Brew where we were attracting the stares of several onlookers. And then he said that he was expecting someone so he couldn't."

Spencer could see why she was hurt, but not why she was mad. She didn't say anything as she waited for Aria to go on.

"And he didn't even bother telling me that he had a girlfriend. And much less that his girlfriend is my old baby-sitter. She walked in and I left. He should've warned me. And I was already really emotional because I was telling him about what had happened."

"So are you more upset because he didn't tell you or because you don't want him to be with anyone else?"

Aria bit her lip, "Both. Neither. I don't know. I'm sort of mad at him for getting me to talk and then just dropping it to do something else."

Spencer narrowed her eyes, "You were the one who walked out, weren't you? Did he try to stop you?"

Aria thought back but wasn't positive. She was so emotional and her eyes so full of tears that she didn't really notice. "I'm not sure. I think he did."

"There might be something else going on. Maybe you should give him a chance to explain," Spencer suggested.

"I know I probably should but I think that if he told me about his love life with Simone it would probably break my heart. And I don't want her to be a step-mom to Sadie when Ezra finds out."

Spencer just put the name with a face, "Wait, Simone as in the one that came to the dance, Simone? The one who thought that I had a crush on Fitz because I asked him to dance with me?"

Aria nodded and placed her forehead in her hands. "I just dreamed about coming back and rekindling my relationship with Ezra and then him meeting Sadie and loving her and we'd be a happy family. And none of those things have happened yet."

"Aria, it's only been two weeks since you came back. Give it time and I still think you should call Ezra and let him talk to you. And you should do it soon. He needs to know about Sadie."

"I don't want to talk to him," she said stubbornly, slightly sticking her bottom lip out like Sadie was prone to do.

"I think you should," Spencer encouraged.

"But I think I shouldn't. Not yet."

"You should."

Aria just shook her ahead, "Agree to disagree."

Spencer rolled her eyes, "Fine. But if you don't talk to him you are going to be the one with the seventy-two cats and two canaries."

Aria lifted her head up and turned to Spencer, "I thought that we decided no canaries."

"If you had a padlock you'd be fine," Spencer shrugged.

The smaller brunette narrowed her eyes, "You said that no one puts padlocks on canary cages."

Spencer lifted a corner of her mouth in a small smile, "Normal people don't, that's correct. But you're not normal Aria. Normal people don't date their English teachers. They don't go against societal norms and follow their heart. They don't dare wear blindingly bright colors. They don't believe in forever. So, since you are not normal, it would be perfectly fine to buy a padlock for your two canaries."

Aria smiled. That was how their friendship worked. Aria would be there for Spencer when she needed reassurance that everything would be okay. Spencer would be there for Aria when she needed some sense knocked into her. No matter the circumstance they could always turn to each other. Their conversations would be enough to calm either's nerves and make them smile. They could both leave knowing that someone always had their back. Sparia didn't age with time and it didn't diminish with hardships. It was one of the few solid things in their lives. And both Spencer and Aria knew that if the canary incident really did happen, there would be two rocking chairs because they would go through it together.

* * *

At precisely two o'clock someone knocked on the door. Aria and Spencer were both in the kitchen making the final preparations for lunch. Sadie was still asleep out on the lawn and Aria kept an eye on her through the glass patio door.

"Why don't you get that?" Spencer asked looking up from the plates she was rearranging on the table. Together the girls decided to make a salad and then sandwiches since it was too warm of a day to have anything hot. Everything was spread out on the table using Spencer's finest dishes. "I'll pull the fruit and veggies out of the fridge and set them out."

Aria nodded and headed towards the door, slightly shaking her left hand as she did so. Spencer had assigned her to cut the tomatoes and that hadn't gone too well. The gash on her thumb was proof. Spencer had pulled out a bandage and wrapped it up tightly then gave her a Tylenol to dull the pain but it had yet to kick in. The throbbing of the thumb was still very real and very painful.

She reached over and opened the door with her right hand, careful not to bump her other hand. Spencer had assured her that it didn't require stitches but she wasn't so sure. If she did go get stitches it would mainly be to get whatever numbing medicine they had.

"Aria, you gonna let us in the house anytime soon? I think that I'm melting in the sun right now," a male voice said.

Aria's head snapped up. She hadn't realized that her head was down and the door was open. "Hunter? Peyton? What are you guys doing here?"

"We called your phone and your friend answered. She invited us to lunch so we're here for the next couple of hours. If that's alright with you," Peyton explained.

Aria nodded instantly and opened the door wider, "Of course. Come in. I'm so happy that you are here."

As Peyton walked past she quickly gave Aria a hug. "Where's Sadie-bug?"

"She's sleeping on the lawn. It's probably about time that she wakes up though. Spencer can show you where she is," Aria nodded in the direction of the kitchen and Peyton went that way.

After Peyton was gone Hunter stepped up and pulled Aria into his arms tightly and held her a little too long. She pushed him back and smiled, "Are you trying to suffocate me?"

He smiled, "Nope. I've just missed you, kiddo."

Aria looked up at him and noticed a change. "You dyed you hair. What made you decide to go blonde?"

Hunter reached up and ran his hand through his now blonde hair. "I needed a change," he shrugged. "By the way, you look very beautiful."

With that remark he slipped past her and into the kitchen. Aria looked down at her very simple outfit. Her hair had been pulled into a loose bun and her makeup had been hastily applied. She didn't know what exactly evoked that compliment. Hunter was never one to compliment people unless he thought they really deserved it.

Aria just shook her head and followed him to the kitchen where she found them all already at the table. Spencer and Hunter were talking whilst Peyton was holding Sadie on her lap. The umbrella that had been her shade was now neatly folded up and leaning against the wall near the door.

"Aria, Hunter here was telling me about the spider incident. I didn't know you were so deathly afraid of them," Spencer commented once Aria had taken her place at the table.

A blush instantly made its way onto her cheeks. "I'm not. But that one was different. It was huge and furry and could jump."

Hunter rolled his eyes, "Stop exaggerating. The thing was tiny and couldn't harm a fly."

"You saw how big it was! I swear it had a million eyes," Aria defended herself. Hunter seems a little aggressive today.

Peyton saw Aria's embarrassment and changed the subject, "Spencer, this is a very beautiful house. Did you do it?"

Spencer nodded and a hint of pride could be seen in her eyes. "Yeah. I kind of just threw it together as a summer home."

Peyton's green eyes widened. "This is really beautiful. Do you do it as a career?"

The Hastings shook her head. "No, as of right now it's just a hobby."

Aria's phone rang interrupting a conversation for the second time that day. Normally people didn't call her; it was mainly texts that she received. When she looked at the caller ID she rolled her eyes and pushed decline. If he weren't so impertinent he would just respect her space and leave her alone like she asked.

"Was it Ezra?" Spencer asked quietly.

Aria nodded.

"Maybe you should go call him," Spencer suggested.

"That would be rude. We have people here who are waiting to eat. I can't just leave."

Spencer rolled her eyes, "You need to talk to him sometime."

Peyton and Hunter watched the interaction quietly, their heads turning to watch Spencer as she spoke and then Aria when she replied. Peyton was the first to ask the question both siblings had. "Who's Ezra?"

Aria turned to her friend, "He was my old boyfriend who lives here."

Peyton raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Are you sure that he's old. You seem a little distraught about it."

Before Aria had time to reply Hunter abruptly said, "Let's eat. I'm famished and I think I'll waste away. Peyton wouldn't let us stop on the way down for ice cream."

Peyton glared at her brother, "You poor, picked on thing that had five waffles for breakfast. I think your stomach has no bottom. Seriously you eat more than should be physically possible."

Hunter feigned shock, "I do not. I'm just a growing man."

Peyton scoffed, "The only way you will be growing will be the horizontal way."

"I totally disown you little sister. You have offended me and I don't think that I can ever forgive you," he said dramatically.

Peyton looked over at Aria and Spencer. "He seems to be forgetting that I'm the one who drove us here and unless he's nice he'll be taking the train back to New York."

"We rode in a train," Sadie piped up although not that loudly. But she had just woken up and she never had that much energy after she had been sleeping so Aria wasn't surprised.

Peyton looked down at the brown-haired child who was practically her niece. "Did you? Was it fun?"

Sadie nodded but didn't answer the second question.

"Don't you guys have work today?" Aria asked the two of them.

Peyton smirked, "I took the day off and Hunter currently doesn't have a job. He got fired a few days ago."

This news wasn't surprising to Aria in the slightest. "What did you do this time?"

Hunter smiled, "I was supposed to deliver a pizza to a house but then forgot. I got home and there it was on the backseat of my car."

Spencer raised her eyebrows, "So did you take it like three hours late?"

"Nope. I ate it."

Aria shook her head. Some things never changed like his inability to keep a job for more than three months.

Hunter's smile faded and he became solemn again. "I was serious about the food though. Can we eat?"

* * *

Hiccups. They had been annoying Sadie for almost twenty minutes and all of the adults couldn't help but smile. Every time she hiccupped Sadie would clasp her hands over her mouth. She would wait for a minute and then put her hands down, thinking that they were over. Almost as soon as her hands went down another hiccup would rack her body and she would purse her lips in frustration.

Aria, Spencer, Hunter, and Peyton all were focused on the two year old who was too distracting with the hiccupping to notice their attention. The five of them were all sitting around an outside table at Lucky Leon's where they had just gotten cupcakes. Though Aria did love cupcake, she had eaten too much at lunch and she regretted giving into the chocolaty temptation. Now her stomach was protesting and it wasn't really fun.

"Do you think they'll stop anytime soon?" Peyton asked while absentmindedly twisting her blonde hair around her finger.

They had spent the last three hours at Spencer's house just talking and catching up even though it hadn't yet been a month since Aria left New York. Hunter had plenty of stories to tell and seemed to hog the spotlight the whole afternoon. Peyton had some events happen at work that she had been dying to tell Aria about. Spencer and Sadie didn't really have a lot to add to the conversation which was fine by both of them. This was Aria's day and she was only tagging along because Aria had wanted her to meet and get to know Peyton and Hunter who were her family when she had none.

"I don't know. I can't remember her ever having the hiccups before," Aria said, still watching her daughter who looked very frustrated and annoyed.

Hunter groaned and leaned back in his chair. "I think they should last at least three more hours because I could sit and watch her all day. Who knew hiccups could be this entertaining?" he mused.

Spencer watched him with a close gaze as she had done the whole time he was there. And though Hunter was definitely handsome, that wasn't the reason. Something about him was a little offsetting but she didn't say anything. If Aria trusted him than so would she. That didn't necessarily mean that she had to like him though.

Early on in the day she decided that he had feelings for Aria. It was actually quite apparent by the way he instantly shut down any conversation that ever leaned towards Ezra and the way that he would glare at some far away object whenever Ezra called which had already been five times that day.

And Spencer also knew that the feelings were one sided because Aria still loved Ezra and forever would. From what Spencer understood of their relationship, Aria thought of him as a big brother. She wanted platonic while he wanted romantic and it was probably a good thing that Aria moved from New York just to get away from the tornado that would have caused. She had a feeling that he wasn't really a guy to just let things go.

Peyton on the other hand was actually really nice. Sarcasm was like a second nature that was really evident whenever her brother said anything.

It didn't really seem like the two had anything in common. Peyton was punctual and loyal and responsible. Hunter was late and loud and carefree. Peyton took time to listen whereas Hunter didn't stop talking. Part of Spencer was starting to wonder why Aria was ever friends with him. He didn't really seem like her type but she still didn't ask questions.

"Who knew men found enjoyment in little girl's discomfort?" Peyton asked, watching Sadie with concern. The relationship that the two of them had was actually really cute.

"So Aria, what are your plans now that you are back?" Hunter asked, giving the limelight to someone else for a change.

"I'm going to find a job. Hopefully I'll find a car that's cheap so that I don't have to borrow Spencer's anymore. Once I do that I'll make a decision about where to live," Aria answered.

"Are you kicking her out? I know how impossible she is sometimes so I'm not really surprised," Hunter addressed Spencer.

She pulled herself out of her observations to answer him, "Aria can live with me as long as she wants. It's actually really fun having her there."

Hunter pulled a face, "But how do you ever get ready in the morning? That girl practically lives in the bathroom."

"Hunter, you spend two hours styling all of the one and a half inches of your hair. I on the other hand have thick hair that falls halfway down my back and therefore I have an excuse. You don't," Aria answered. She too was getting a little annoyed at Hunter. He had complimented her when he first walked into Spencer's house but since then had been digging at her any chance he got. He seemed different than when she left New York and if she ever caught Peyton alone she would ask her about it.

Peyton was the only one still focused on Sadie's hiccups. "Guys, I think they're over."

The other three turned to find that Sadie was sitting calmly with her head resting on her hands on the table. They all watching in anticipation for another one to shake her body but it didn't come.

"I think that you're right," Aria said. "You do you feel sweetie?"

Sadie kicked her feet back and forth under the table and sighed, "Good."

Peyton stood up and turned to Aria, "Remember Joe Bridges? I have a story about him that only you would understand. Walk with me down to that cute little shop that's just down the block. Spencer and Hunter can watch Sadie."

Aria looked at Spencer for confirmation and she nodded with a reassuring smile. Aria stood up and followed Peyton in the direction of the store regardless of the fact that she didn't know a Joe Bridges and she knew Peyton wasn't really interested in the shop.

"What's up?" Aria asked once they were far enough away that their conversation couldn't be overheard.

"I kind of just got a drift that you needed to talk to me and you didn't want Hunter to be there," she shrugged.

Aria didn't realize her intentions had been that obvious. "Is he alright? He seems a little bitter and judgmental and aggressive today."

Peyton thought about her brother's recent behavior for a minute. "You leaving actually hit him harder than you might expect. He's gone from moping around to lashing out to taking his anger out in the gym. Then there are days when he's totally fine. I think he knows that you don't like him in the way that he likes you but he doesn't want to accept it."

Aria had sort of expected something along those lines just because she knew Hunter pretty well, "What can I do? I hate to see him like this but I don't like him in that way and I never will."

Peyton nodded, "I'm not really sure what we can do at this point except give him space."

The two stepped into the shop and then were out in a couple of minutes. Everything there was either really expensive or on clearance. It wasn't one of Rosewood's most profitable shops.

Peyton and Aria talked the whole way back as well about various topics and when they got back to the table Peyton didn't even bother to sit down. "Hunter we need to leave so that we can get back to New York. Unlike you, I do have work tomorrow."

He groaned and stood up. "Do we have to?"

"Hunter, just get in the car," Peyton instructed, pointing to the passenger side of the red vehicle.

"We can't just leave without a proper goodbye," he pouted. "I've got to say goodbye to my Sadie-bug."

"That name is reserved for my use only. Just make it quick."

* * *

Ezra had just slid into his car when he noticed the group of people at Lucky Leon's. His eyes instantly picked out Aria who was conversing with Spencer and another blonde lady. A guy was holding a little girl and he assumed that the three he didn't know were a family.

But then he saw the dude pull Aria in for a hug and decided that that was way to affectionate if he were a married man. Maybe he was someone Aria knew while she was in New York. But there was the possibility that they were more than just friends and that thought didn't settle well with Ezra.

He didn't exactly like watching them from his car but his territorial side didn't let him leave. As soon as the man's arms wrapped around Aria's body he became jealous and defensive. Even though Aria wasn't exactly his and she probably wouldn't let him hug her after what happened the previous day, he still felt the need to protect her.

He was pulled abruptly out of his thoughts when his passenger side door opened and Spencer got in the car.

She had done that once and only once before when she thought Aria was in trouble. Now she did the same thing only it was three years later. "Spencer, do you need a ride or something?"

"No. You and I are going to go to the Brew and have a conversation. I know that you're dying to know who that tall blonde is and I'm dying to know the reason you've been calling Aria all day. She still refuses to talk to you so I went to the source to find answers."

Mr. Fitz raised his eyebrows, "We're going to the Brew and having a conversation?"

Spencer just nodded and buckled her seatbelt. "Just drive Mr. Fitz. And quickly before she sees me and chews my head off."

* * *

**Sparia and Spezra in this chapter. It's a little shorter than most so I apologize but here it is. And like I've said before, everything happens for a reason so just trust me. Please review and tell me what you think:)**


	9. Chapter 9

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

**I have nothing else to say right now except thank you guys so much for letting me write this story for you and giving me a chance. There's no way I could write this without your guys support and comments. Also, thank you to tragicallyconfused who is always there to bounce ideas off of. She's helped me make some major decisions regarding this story and I am extremely grateful to her. Again, thank you and enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_"Just drive Mr. Fitz. And quickly before she sees me and chews my head off."_

Ezra Fitz followed his former student to a small table for two at the back of The Brew.

Spencer pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing her legs and folding her arms. The steely look in her eyes let him know that she was going to stay there until she got some answers. Spencer never had been one to give up.

"So what exactly is this all about?" Mr. Fitz asked as he sat in the chair across from her.

Spencer had always been a good student. She would participate in the conversations and answer questions. Her essays were on point and very-well written, not in the sense that she loved writing but that she knew how to grammatically put together a sentence.

In the year that he taught her, he had learned that Spencer couldn't stand being wrong, in fact she _needed _to be right. She was one of those people who would stop at nothing to get the answers she wanted. While being persistent and tenacious was a good thing, it could also be the opposite. Needing answers when there aren't any can drive people to the extremes. For Spencer the extremes had been pills.

As a teacher he was among the first to notice her problem. Her assignments weren't carefully written and her brown eyes had a vacant look in class. She didn't mind when she got a grade less than an A which was a major hint that something wasn't right.

But her school work wasn't the only thing affected by her addiction. She suddenly had a very strong interest in the life of her English teacher. It was she who saw him and the Hart and Huntsman with the boysenberry pie and board shorts ale. It was she who had noticed the cameras hidden near his apartment. It was she who told the other girls and then Aria.

Mr. Fitz didn't hold a grudge against her though. He didn't hate her for looking for answers. It was quite the opposite. He actually grew to admire her dedication. He admired that she was smart enough to pick up on his trail when no one else had. Most of all he admired that she was such a loyal friend to Aria. She had been there for Aria during the times when he couldn't be and he would forever be grateful for that.

"First off you should know that if you ever hurt Aria again, I will personally slit your throat," she said with a stern expression. If Rosewood were a typical community it would be the teacher looking at the student that way, but Rosewood wasn't typical.

"Spencer, whether you believe me or not, I have never meant to hurt Aria. Not once," Ezra answered, meeting her hard glare with a calm look.

The brunette nodded her head once, "Mr. Fitz, though some of your choices have been the epitome of stupid, I do believe you."

Ezra lifted a corner of his mouth into a slight smile. The 'epitome of stupid' was actually a pretty accurate description. He should've told Aria about the book since the beginning.

"Aria told me about your conversation yesterday," she said, not really sure if that was the best way to begin the conversation but figuring that it could get her to where she wanted to be by the end of their talk. "But before we discuss that you can ask me your question."

"Who was that guy? I thought that maybe the three I didn't know were a family, but then the guy hugged Aria. They're not more than friends are they?"

Spencer's eyebrows shot up, "Wait, you saw the little girl?" Her mind quickly replayed the interactions between Aria and Sadie that might hint at their relationship. If she recalled correctly, Peyton was the one who was attending to her when she had the hiccups and what not.

"Um, yeah. Briefly. I wasn't really focused on her though," he answered, relieving Spencer's concerns. He had been too busy looking at Hunter embracing Aria to notice that the little girl looked a lot like his former girlfriend.

"Those people were Aria's adopted family. They sort of took her in when she got to New York. The girl is Aria's best friend Peyton. The guy is Hunter who is Peyton's older brother," Spencer said.

"They aren't anything more than friends?" Ezra asked, intently studying the table in front of him for a moment.

Spencer smirked, "I spy a jealous Mr. Fitz."

He didn't deny it because it was the truth. Ezra was jealous of any man that got to hug her or be the recipient of her beautiful smile.

The brunette's eyes softened slightly, "You still care."

"Spencer, I still care a lot. More than a lot." Mr. Fitz finally looked up, "I still love her."

"This is where my side comes in then. Aria told me that you got her to open up and she was really emotional and stuff and then you dropped the conversation to be with Simone. She's been more upset about it than she's let on. But, judging from the way you've been calling her all day long, I'm betting there's more to the story."

Ezra nodded, thankful for the fact that Spencer was willing to give him a chance to explain even though Aria wouldn't. He took the next few minutes explaining what his relationship to Simone was. And, like Spencer suspected, Aria had jumped to conclusions too quickly.

"I don't know what to do," Fitz admitted with a sigh. "She won't answer my calls and I don't want to corner her in the street somewhere. But I can't stand that fact that she's hurting because of me."

"You know that her hurting is just proof that you still have her heart. Even though she tries to deny it, it's true," Spencer said with a small smile. Though at the beginning she had been disgusted by the thought of Aria and her English teacher, now she couldn't imagine either of them with anyone else. Not after what she had seen him do for her.

"So what do I do?" he asked again.

Spencer thought for a second, "She should learn the truth from you, not me."

Ezra raised an eyebrow, recognizing the truth of the statement but not seeing how it helped him with a solution.

Spencer leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smirk. "So if you can't tell her, _show her_." She stood up and left without another word, leaving her English teacher to figure out what she meant by that.

* * *

"What's this shape?" Aria asked Sadie who was sitting on her lap looking at the book in front of her.

"A circle," Sadie answered almost immediately.

Aria smiled. "Good job. What's this one?" She pointed to a different shape on the page. Every morning Aria tried to do something to help her learn whether it was walking around town and having Sadie tell her what colors she saw or singing the ABCs over and over again or looking through books and finding different animals.

Sadie never complained about any of it. She seemed to enjoy learning which was another trait that came mostly from her father. "That one's a square."

"But I thought it was a triangle," Aria said, brushing her long hair back behind her ear.

The two year old shook her head. "It's a square."

"Are you sure?" Aria asked to which Sadie nodded. "Can you show me which one is a triangle then?"

Sadie quickly scanned the page with her blue eyes and pointed to the three sided shape.

"Why are you so good at this?" Aria asked, wrapping her arms around her daughter's shoulders and hugging her.

"I don't know," Sadie said with a shrug.

Aria kissed the top of her head. "I think it's because you're so smart."

Spencer knocked softly on the frame of the door with one hand and in the other she held a package addressed to Aria. When she found it sitting on her front porch earlier that morning she couldn't help but smile. If it contained what she was 99.99% sure that it did then Fitz had done what she very vaguely suggested. He would show her rather than tell her.

"What are you up to?" Spencer asked the duo who were sitting on Aria's borrowed bed. A book was open in front of them and Sadie was looking over the pages with a furrowed brow.

"Sadie's practicing her shapes," Aria said whilst combing the toddler's hair with her fingers.

Spencer walked further into the room and Aria noticed what she was carrying. "What's that?" she asked, gesturing to the brown package in Spencer's hand.

"This is a package," Spencer answered.

Aria rolled her eyes, "I figured that much. Who's it for?"

"It's for you," Spencer said, still making no move to give it to her.

That piqued Aria's curiosity. "Who's it from?"

Spencer smiled. "You'll have to see."

Aria narrowed her eyes. Her friend knew something that she didn't. "Are you going to give it to me?"

Finally Spencer handed the package over to Aria. With one look at her name she knew who it was from. It was Ezra's handwriting. Now she knew why Spencer had been cautious when she entered the room.

"Where'd you get this?"

Sadie took the package from her mom and felt it. "What is it?"

"It was on my porch this morning when I woke up. It's a present, Sadie. For your mom." Spencer explained. "Aria, I know that you don't feel like talking to him, but you should really give him a chance. You jumped to conclusions the other day and didn't give him a chance to explain himself."

Aria stared at the package in her daughter's hand. "Why does it sound like you know more about this situation than I do?"

Spencer shrugged. "I talked to him. And before you get mad at me just look at it, Aria. Sadie and I will be downstairs." She went over and gently took Sadie from Aria's lap. She also grabbed the book they were looking at and then made her way to the door.

"When you forgive him in a couple of minutes you should also know that there is a reading tonight at a bar near Hollis where he is presenting a short story that he wrote. It's at seven. And he didn't tell me that. I looked it up online," Spencer said with a smirk.

"What makes you so sure that I'll forgive him?" Aria asked with a quizzical brow.

"You will. And maybe next time you should have a little bit more faith in your favorite English teacher." Spencer left with Sadie leaving Aria alone on the bed with the brown paper package.

The curiosity overtook her as soon as Spencer was out of view. She quickly jumped up and shut the door then took the package in her hands. There was something hard surrounded by a few layers of cloth or something. It was wrapped in brown paper that had been carefully taped which showed he had actually taken time to make it look good. The whole thing was tied with a red ribbon that was probably left over from Christmas since he didn't really have an expansive collection of wrapping supplies. On top Aria Montgomery was written neatly with black marker.

Aria unwrapped it carefully, slowly tearing back the brown paper and then setting it aside. The object was surrounded in an old yellow Hollis t-shirt which instantly made Aria smile. She had always liked that one for some reason and had worn it to bed numerous times. Why he included it she didn't have any idea.

She set it on the bed next to her and then looked at the rest of the 'present' as Spencer put it.

There was a white envelope on top of a book and Aria opened the letter before even glancing at the book. A single sheet of paper filled it and she unfolded it. Both sides of the lined paper were filled with black ink that was most likely from his signature Fischer ballpoint pen with a custom nib. The fact that she still remembered his brand of pens surprised even her.

She sighed and began reading the letter, whispering it out loud as she did so.

_Aria, _

_ I know that I'm not exactly in a good position with you right now and I know that I am also partly to blame for that. I should have warned you about my meeting with Simone beforehand. And I also know that I have made more mistakes than should even be possible from a man when it comes to you, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of the times that I've let you down. It kills me to know that I've hurt you._

_ And quickly I should just explain that the t-shirt was only to act as a cushion. I have yet to determine the means by which I will get this to you, so in the case that I mail it I didn't want the contents to get beat up in anyway. But now you have my t-shirt. Keep it or return it, I don't care either way._

_ Also, don't get angry with Spencer. She was acting purely in your interest by reaching out to me. She cares about you a lot and promised to slit my throat personally if I hurt you which I don't plan to do anytime soon or ever, for that matter. _

_Spencer was actually the one that suggested that if I couldn't tell you what was going on then I should show you. So here I am showing you. I honestly didn't think that I would ever get the opportunity to share this with you, but now you're back so I do._

_ Simone is my editor. After she submitted some of my short stories to her publishing company we stayed in touch as far as our writing went. About a year ago she got promoted to be an editor for the company. It is because of her that you are holding the book that you are now._

_ Our meeting at The Brew was to close up some last minute things before that book hits the stores. She gave me the copy that you are now in possession of which is the first edition of my very first published book. For a couple of weeks the one you're holding will be the only one in existence._

_ Please give it a chance Aria. The story contained on those pages isn't really about the fictional characters that I created. It is our story. It's the story of a man who met a woman who captivated him from the very first conversation and who had him falling in love by the time they parted on the first day. It's about a relationship that was frowned upon by society even though the two involved couldn't care less about what others thought because to them it felt right. It's about a man who nearly broke when the woman left._

_The majority of this book was written late at night when I couldn't sleep because the other half of my bed was empty. It contains very raw emotions and that is why it is so honest, sometimes brutally so. It was my outlet for those days when I was overcome with the guilt and grief associated with your absence. But this book is us and every feeling involved. I tried to capture with words what I felt in my heart even though I know that words can never do what we had justice. _

_ I told you once that we could give our story a happy ending and that is what I did. I gave _our story _the ending that I had always dreamt about, the ending that seemed more impossible with every passing day that you were gone. It's the ending that kept me going when I otherwise thought that I couldn't._

_ To anyone else who is brave enough to read a book with my name on the bottom of it, this book will simply be a love story. It will be something they can read and smile about at the end. But I hope that to you it is so much more than that. I hope that you will read it and remember what we had and how real it was, how real it still is._

_ There's so much that I want to say to you, Aria. There's so much that I need to tell you. But for now this will suffice. All I can ask is that you give it a chance, that you give me a chance to repair all of the mistakes I have made. _

_ This letter could be closed in so many ways. Sincerely. With gratitude. Cordially yours. Best regards. Kind wishes. But I learned a long time ago that lying won't get me anywhere so here it is honestly:_

_ Forever yours, Ezra Fitz._

Aria bit her lip and a single tear leaked onto the bottom corner of the paper.

She slowly set it aside and laid back onto the bed, the words from his letter repeating themselves in her head. She hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. She had been wrong. So very wrong.

Why did she have to be so stubborn? Why didn't she just answer one of his many phone calls? Why didn't she give him a chance to explain? She had been shutting him out for the past couple of days for nothing and she suddenly felt very guilty. Spencer was right; she should have had more faith in her favorite English teacher.

Though he could have warned her about his upcoming meeting, Aria couldn't blame him for what happened. It was her fault that she overreacted and he had to resort to the mail to inform her about what was really going on.

The fact that he even took the time to give her that showed how much he really meant what the letter said. He really meant that he was sorry and that he would never hurt her again. He really meant the last line that said forever yours.

Anyone else wouldn't go through the trouble of explaining if someone was unwilling to listen. Ezra went through the trouble and the time. She knew that he had probably spent at least an hour writing the letter that had taken her two minutes to read. He was always careful like that and made sure that the wording was exactly as it needed to be. He had included the sole copy of his book meaning that he didn't even have one. He had thought it through enough to wrap it with an old t-shirt. And it wasn't just an old t-shirt; it was her favorite old t-shirt. He didn't choose that one by coincidence.

Ezra Fitz had every right to be mad with her. She had left without a word and then resurfaced three years later. When she returned she asked him to keep his distance for a while to which he complied. There was no reason for him to give her another chance. There was no reason for him to still care for her. But he did and even though she didn't feel like she deserved it, she would forever be grateful for his never-ending patience with her.

Aria sat up again and reached for the book. The title instantly caught her attention. _Happiness _was written up the side in silver lettering. To others that word was just an emotion, but to Aria it was a song. A song sometimes referred to as B26.

The picture on the cover was a city skyline silhouetted against the dark blue that occurs right after the sunset. A full moon hung in the sky casting a slight glow on the whole scene. Two of the outlined buildings had a singular light on. Ezra Fitz was written in white in all caps along the bottom.

The whole thing fit together perfectly and captured a romantic yet mysterious air.

An excerpt was offered on the back cover which Aria quickly read before opening the front cover, careful to avoid bending the spine too much.

She flipped past the first few pages like the title and the copyright and what not but stopped at the dedication page.

_To Aria who will forever be my Happiness._

She smiled slightly and turned the next page to the short introduction which she began reading.

_As children we grow up with fairytales or pirate stories. We become accustomed to the 'once upon a times' and the 'happily ever afters.' But as we get older, those things become more of fantasies. We begin to learn that life's not always romantic; sometimes it's realistic. As the years go on we finally begin to understand the fine line in between the two. _

_ We learn the predetermined limits set on what is acceptable and what isn't in a relationship. And most people live within those limits. For most people it's not even a problem. _

_ But for some it's not that simple. They meet '_the one' _under the wrong circumstances making it hard to pursue their feelings yet impossible to deny the heart. Unlike everything else in life, the heart doesn't pay any mind to the barriers or obstacles in the way. It simply knows what it wants and it goes for it regardless of the rocky path ahead. _

_ It's at that point that those people have a choice. Do they take the easy way out and listen to society or do they go for it and follow their heart? Do they take the safe route and live the rest of their lives thinking about the what ifs?_

_ Whichever choice they make will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Those that choose the safe route might live a happy life, but a part of them never forgets the one who they were too scared to go after. Those that choose to break the limits might encounter quite a few hardships and problems, but most will discover that it's worth it to be able to live with no regrets. They'll find that it's worth it to know that they gave it a shot when most would have shut down the possibility. _

_ But here's what I have learned in my life: Love can overpower any fear. It can overshadow any doubt. It can overcome any obstacle. Love is one of the few things in life that isn't destroyed or forgotten with time. And it hurts to keep fighting against what your heart wants and it is a war you will not win. I can say these things because I've been there. I know what it's like to love someone even when everyone else frowns upon it. _

_ And here is my advice: Follow your heart because at the end of the day you will only regret letting her go. _

Aria turned the page to find the start of chapter one.

Before she let herself slip into the world that Ezra had created, actually the world that they had created, she lightly ran down the stairs where she found Spencer on the couch with Sadie in her lap. The two were still looking at the book although now it looked like they had moved on to colors.

"Hey Spence," she called from the bottom of the stairs with one hand still on the railing.

Spencer looked up with a curious expression on her face. "Well?"

"Can you keep an eye on Sadie for a while?" Aria asked, not answering her unasked question.

Spencer narrowed her eyes, "Why? Do you have something going on?"

Aria's pointer finger tapped lightly on the banister in impatience. "You already know. So will you? Or I could probably call Emily or Hanna or Ali if you can't."

"I'll watch her all day," Spencer said with a devilish smile, "but only if you say it."

The smaller brunette didn't have to ask what she meant by that. "You were right, Spencer. Now if you will excuse me, I have a book to read."

Aria ran back up to her borrowed bedroom, only looking back once to make sure Sadie was still entertained. Once she made it in to her room she shut the door and curled up in the stuffed chair. She cracked open the cover once again and began reading.

_So much can happen in a single second. Sometimes too much…_

* * *

The room was filled to the point that it was almost stuffy, which was a good thing. There were a lot of people there to hear the short stories being presented.

Another person wrapped up their story and applause rippled through the room somewhat unenthusiastically. Aria clapped a few times but she hadn't been overly impressed with what she had just spent the last thirteen minutes listening to. For one thing it was overly long for a short story. And another thing was that the writer had the bad habit of using run on sentences which messed up the whole flow of the story.

Ezra then replaced the last presenter on the stool with his story in hand. He was unconsciously clutching the papers so tightly that they were getting bent. He nervously ran a hand through his hair before taking a deep breath and starting the story.

Aria couldn't help but smile. Even though he had done this numerous times over the past couple of years he still got nervous. It was kind of nice to see him a little unsettled for once.

As soon as he started Aria could feel a shift in the energy of the room. Whereas the last story had almost put some of them to sleep, this one was more entertaining and grabbed your attention. It was pretty fast-paced but not to the extent that it was rushed. All in all, it was perfect and he hadn't even gotten that far into it.

Aria watched him carefully as he read, noticing the various expressions that crossed his face as he read. She noticed the way the dim lighting made his hair seem darker than normal. She picked up on the fact that his right foot was tapping nervously on the floor.

Before she knew it he was finished and standing up. The room erupted into applause, this time with more vigor and excitement. A few complimented him as he walked over to an empty table and took a seat.

Aria stayed where she was. There were only two more readers and then she would go talk to him. What she was going to say was still to be determined but she would talk to him. She needed to.

A man with a monotone voice took the stage and Aria instantly zoned out his story, not even attempting to stay focused. She twisted her already curled hair around her finger and contemplated the upcoming conversation.

The minute hand slowly ticked around the clock eight times before the final presenter took the center stool. To the woman's credit, the story was actually really good. She had a way with words that could take you anywhere. Her voice was also very rich and full of expression which added to the effect.

Aria wouldn't go as far as to say that she was better than Ezra, but then again she might be a little biased when it came to that.

The lady thanked the audience and then left, this time with no one taking her place. Soft music began to play via a stereo system in the corner and the mingling began.

Aria knew that she no longer had a reason to stall so she made her way over to the table where Ezra was sitting. Once she got there she saw that he was in the middle of a conversation with a man who she didn't recognize. She didn't want to interrupt so she hung back a little.

They two men carried on a conversation for a while about random things. To Aria it seemed as if they talked about Paris to guacamole and everything in between. Aria knew that it probably only seemed that way because of the anticipation building inside of her with every passing minute. She wasn't sure about how he would react to her being there.

Finally the man lifted his hand in farewell and walked away, disappearing into the crowds of people. Aria took a deep breath and approached the table, "Mind if I sit?"

Ezra looked up at her with a startled expression. "Aria, you're here." She could almost see him swallow. "Um, yeah, have a seat. Do you want anything? A drink or food or something?"

She shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. Ezra noticed that she looked especially beautiful tonight with her carefully applied makeup and curled to perfection hair. Her dress was a knee length dark blue one that hugged every curve but wasn't really tight. The shoes she was wearing were a pair of white sandals that revealed her bright yellow toenails.

"I take it that you got my package?" Ezra asked with a small smile. Her being here and initiating the conversation led him to believe that she did get it and that she was no longer upset with him.

Aria let out a low sigh, "Spencer gave it to me this morning. I would have called you earlier but I wanted to surprise you. Coming here was her idea."

Ezra nodded, "Spencer does always seem to be on top of everything. You've got yourself a good friend there."

She nodded and then struggled to find the words to say next. After a moment of her thinking hard and him waiting patiently she began, "Ezra, I'm sorry that I didn't give you a chance to explain. I sort of assumed that your relationship with her was more than just friends and I chose to have hanging questions rather than to risk the chance of receiving unwanted answers. I really am sorry and I realize that I was being unreasonable. It's just that I couldn't stand the thought of you with someone else.

"As soon as I read your letter I realized just how stupid I was for not giving you a chance. I felt guilty for ignoring your phone calls and avoiding you like the plague. I know I messed up Ezra, and I truly am sorry," Aria said, stopping long enough to catch her breath.

Ezra's eyes softened as he thought back on a day when he had said that he didn't ever want to hear her say sorry again. He knew that saying it now would bring a small smile to her face as she remembered that evening but he didn't. He could sense that she really was sorry for how she had reacted.

"Did you read any of the book?" he asked, meeting her hazel eyes calmly. That simple look was enough to help settle a few of her nerves.

Aria offered a small smile, "I read almost all of it. I only have about sixty-one pages left."

Ezra quickly did the math. She had gotten the package at about ten o'clock and he figured that she would have gone for the letter first. After she read and processed that it was probably ten thirty. The book had five hundred and seventeen pages.

He knew from the numerous times he had watched her read in his apartment that she didn't read things as fast as she could. She took time to think about it. That meant that she had spent probably the whole entire day reading with only a little time cut out for lunch and to get ready to go. Aria only read books for that long if she was completely caught up in them because normally she had other things to do in a day.

"And?" he prodded.

Aria got a far-off look in her eyes. After thinking for a moment she returned to earth and met his blue gaze with her own. "And thank you, Ezra. I never thought that it would be possible to put what we had into words yet you managed to do it. It's beautiful."

That made Ezra smile. He had already received critic reviews and most of them were positive, but even the glowing ones couldn't compare to what Aria had to say about it. She was the inspiration for the whole thing and without her it wouldn't exist.

"I'm really glad that you like it, Aria. It means the world to me."

She nodded and absentmindedly played with the bandage on her thumb but careful not to actually touch it. Her mind kept thinking over a few lines of the letter. The lines that made it sound like he still loved her. Was it too much to hope that, like in his book, he hadn't given up on her? She had yet to read the ending of _Happiness_ but from the letter she assumed that it ended in a good way. Is that what he still hoped would happen for them?

"What happened?" Ezra asked after a minute of watching her. She was so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn't noticed his eyes on her for a while.

Her head snapped up, "What?"

Ezra nodded towards her hand. "What happened?"

Aria looked down and realized what he was talking about. "I was cutting tomatoes and they rolled away and I cut my thumb. It's just little though." She lightly ran a finger over it but winced in the process.

A concerned look filled Ezra's eyes, "Are you sure it's a little cut?"

Aria nodded quickly.

"Can I see it?" Ezra asked softly.

Once again she nodded, this time a little more hesitantly.

Ezra reached across the table and gently took her hand. That simple touch set her nerves on fire.

Carefully he unwrapped the bandage surrounding it and then moved the gauze that Spencer had covered the cut with when they cleaned it last night. Removing the gauze revealed the cut that was now slightly purple and blue. It was about three fourths of an inch wide. "Are you sure that it's not infected?"

Aria leaned forward a little bit so that she could see it. She had to admit that the cut did look a little gross and it was probably colors that it shouldn't be.

"No, Spencer was my makeshift doctor and she said it would probably be fine," Aria shrugged.

Ezra looked up at her, "Does it hurt?"

"Only if I touch or move it," Aria replied. Since it happened yesterday she had been overly cautious to avoid moving it and maybe reopening the wound.

"You might want to consider going to the doctors. Or maybe have Wren look at it. I'm sure he'd be happy to just make sure it's okay," Ezra said.

She hadn't even thought of Wren. If she remembered correctly him and Spencer were having lunch the next day so maybe he could just glance at it before he left. "Maybe I will."

He nodded and was satisfied that she would at least consider getting it checked out.

She tried with one hand to rewrap it but he quickly intervened. "Here, allow me." She let go of the bandage and watched as he carefully reapplied the bandage with just the right amount of pressure. Once he was finished he leaned back slightly but he didn't let go of her hand.

She looked at their touching hands with a small smile. Back when they were dating he would always grab her hand for reassurance or comfort. It soon became like second nature to reach for the other's hand.

Ezra noticed where she was looking and tried to decipher whether she was enjoying it of if she wanted him to stop. From the look in her large hazel eyes he thought he saw happiness, but wasn't sure. Maybe that was his mind just seeing what it wanted to see vs. what actually was there.

"Aria, what happens now?" he asked quietly.

She looked up and him and shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

"But what do you want, because that is what I will do. What do you want to happen?" His blue eyes never left hers. He searched them for the answer he was wanting.

She thought about that for a moment. She wanted to be with him again. No matter how many times she had tried to forget about him it hadn't happened. She tried to move on but it was impossible. A part of her always knew though that without him she wouldn't be happy or content. But she didn't want to say anything if he didn't have the same feelings. It was obvious that he still cared about her but caring and loving were two very different things.

"I want you," she finally admitted in barely more than a whisper. Like he had said in the letter, she had learned that lying wouldn't get her anywhere. That was the truth. "I lived in New York for three years and no matter how hard I couldn't dull the pain of missing you. I never want to have to live like that again."

His eyes softened at those words. The day suddenly seemed much brighter. "I know that pain, Aria. Believe me. It was as real for me as it was for you."

The corner of her mouth slightly lifted in a small smile. "Those years without you were among some of the hardest in my life."

Ezra instantly nodded, "Agreed. But where does that leave us?"

Aria bit her lip, "I don't know, but before we discuss that there's something I need to tell you."

"You don't need to tell me anything, Aria."

She squeezed his hand a little bit tighter. "Actually, I do need to tell you this. When I left-." She was cut off by the ringing of her phone. Her mom's name was on the screen and she quickly pushed the answer button. "I need to take this."

Ezra nodded and leaned further back to give her a little bit of privacy.

"Hi, mom. What's up?"

Ella Montgomery paced back and forth in the room that her and Zach were staying in at his sister's house looking down at her hand. She was about to cut to the chase when she noticed that it sounded like her daughter was in a busy place. "Where are you? It's kind of loud."

Aria looked around and bit her lip. "I just went to a reading and now I'm just sitting here."

"Oh, really. Was it good? Did anyone I know read?"

Aria's gaze instantly went to Ezra. "Umm, yeah. It was really good. Some were better than others obviously. How's Zach's brother-in-law doing?"

Ella noticed that she skipped the last question but she let it drop. "He's okay. He'll have to be in the hospital for a couple more days but he's going to be fine. He'll be out by next Wednesday and able to travel."

Aria raised her eyebrows, "What's next Wednesday?"

Ella began pacing faster and once again looked down at her diamond-encrusted ring finger. "My wedding."

The brunette opened her mouth then closed it again. "Did he repropose?"

Ella narrowed her eyes, "I'm not sure he needed to repropose. We just never actually had the wedding since you were gone but now you're back and we decided that we finally wanted to do it. It will be next Wednesday at The Brew. I know it's short notice and sudden, but-"

Aria cut her mom off, "No I'm really happy for you, mom. Let me know how I can help."

Ella was relieved to hear the genuine congratulations from Aria. "We're going to need a lot of help if we're going to pull this off in a week."

"I'm really excited for you. When are you coming back to Rosewood?"

Ella glanced over at her and Zach's suitcases that were sitting by the door. "We're going to come tomorrow morning. I'll call you when I get back and we can work out the details."

"For sure. Tell Zach that I say congratulations again."

Ella nodded, "I will do. Thank you again, honey."

They both said their goodbyes then Aria ended the call and set her phone back on her desk. "That was my mom. Her and Zach are getting married next week."

Ezra smiled. He was really good friends with Ella despite the fact that he had dated her teenage daughter and like Aria he was really excited for her. "When you see her tell her congratulations for me."

Aria raised one eyebrow, "You're probably going to be invited to the wedding you know."

"Even so, tell her that I'm happy for her."

Aria nodded, "Okay. Ezra, I've actually got to get going," she said thinking of Sadie who she had practically neglected all day. She was so close to telling him about her. She was right there until her phone went off. After briefly thinking over her options she decided that it might be best to wait until after the wedding was over to tell him. It would only be one more week and she didn't want to make that week about her. She wanted it to be her mom's.

He stood up, "Do you need a ride back to Spencer's?"

She followed suit and shook her head. "I have Spencer's car. Thank you though."

Ezra nodded, "Anytime. Let me at least walk you out."

She agreed and together they walked out into the night. The sun had already sunken below the horizon and the blue like that on his cover filled the night sky. It was beautiful. "Thank you, Ezra." Impulsively she went up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Her eyes widened as soon as she did and she slowly pulled back not sure why she did that. "I'm gonna go now," she blushed.

As she was turning in the direction of the car Ezra called to her, bringing her attention back to him, "You were going to tell me something?"

"I still need to tell you something, but I've decided that it can wait a week. What if I call you and let you know when I can talk to you?"

He agreed, "Okay. Goodnight Aria."

She smiled softly, "Goodnight, Ezra." It had been too long since she had said those words.

* * *

Aria quietly walked into her room and flipped on the lamp on the nightstand. Sadie was lying in her Spencer/Emily made bed and from her steady breathing Aria could tell that she was asleep. Spencer really had cared for her all day.

Making sure to be as quiet as possible Aria walked over to the bed and kissed Sadie's forehead. She gently brushed her dark hair out of her eyes and just looked at the miracle before her for a moment. This little girl meant the world to her and sometime within the next few weeks the little girl would also have a father.

Aria stood back up and went over to the dresser where she slipped out of her dress and into some knee-length shorts and Ezra's yellow shirt. For some reason she could always sleep better while wearing his shirts.

She set her shoes in the closet and then crawled beneath the covers of her bed and grabbed his book from the nightstand where she had left it. She opened the cover and began to read the last sixty-one pages that were illuminated only by a single bulb from the lamp.

* * *

**So there's that. I told you that it would work out where Simone was concerned. And Aria came so close to telling him about Sadie! But don't worry it will legitimately happen in two chapters so hang with me. Please review and tell me what you think:)**


	10. Chapter 10

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

"Mom, you need to calm down just a little bit or you are going to start putting the shopping receipts in the envelopes rather than the invitations. I'm pretty sure that no one really cares to know how much money you spent to fill up your car," Aria said, temporarily taking a break from her work to pull her mom back to planet earth.

Ella shook her head slightly to clear it and looked down to realize that what she was holding was her receipt from the gas station rather than the invitation to her wedding. She blushed a little bit and set the thinner paper down in exchange for the 5x7 picture of her and Zach with the ornamental writing announcing the date, time, and place of the occasion.

Aria smiled slightly as she saw her mom. Ever since she had announced that she was 're-engaged' she had been living on cloud nine. She tried to hide it but there was no denying it. And Aria was really happy that her mom was so excited. After the whole thing with Byron's affair, she hadn't thought that she would ever see her mom be so ecstatic again.

"I know I've said this already, but I am so excited for you, mom. You really deserve this," Aria stated. "I'm really happy to see you so happy."

Her mother's cheeks turned to a deeper shade of red. "Is it that obvious?"

Aria rolled her eyes. "Mom, your smile hasn't left your face. You're so busy thinking about him that the girls and I have practically handled everything to do with the wedding."

"I'm sorry but it seems like everything got better all at once. You came home which was something I had dreamed about for three years. And you brought with you a beautiful little girl who I love to death. Mike's doing really well and he's happy. My paintings are getting sold almost faster than I can produce them. The Brew is still thriving and Zach loves it. We're finally getting married. I just didn't think that I could ever be this happy again. Not after you left," Ella said with wide-eyes. She literally didn't know that life could be so perfect.

"Things are pretty good right now, I agree." Aria set the pen down and shook her hand. She had been writing addresses down for the past thirty minutes and her hand was getting cramps. "Who did you say this one was to?"

Ella looked over at the list that sat next to her. "That one's to Ezra. His address is probably in the phone book since I don't have it in my phone. Sadie, can you go grab that book from the coffee table?"

Sadie who had been sitting in the chair quietly next to Aria jumped up and went to retrieve it but Aria stopped her with her arm. "I already know his address."

The two year old climbed back into her seat and rested her chin on the counter. "We're almost done here and then we can go to the park or something. Okay, sweetie?" Aria asked, rubbing her back lightly.

Sadie nodded and Ella watched the two. In her excitement about the wedding she really hadn't asked Aria if she cared if he was invited. "Are you alright with him coming to the wedding?"

Aria looked up from the address she had just written and shook her head, "No. It's fine." Her attention returned quickly back to the line she was in the middle of writing and she completed it before handing the envelope to Sadie who sat it in the pile that needed to be mailed.

Ella narrowed her eyes slightly. Aria hadn't really said much concerning him even though she was aware that they had seen each other since Aria had returned. She had never been filled in with the details. That was something that Aria always told her friends and not her mother.

"What's going on between you two?" she asked whilst mechanically sliding the invitations to the envelopes and then using a little water to shut it. Once she was done she would slide them over to Aria who would write the address and then hand them to Sadie who would put them in a pile.

Aria let out a slow breath, "Nothing."

"You sound a little despondent about that. Do you wish there was something going on?" Ella asked with a suggestive voice.

"Maybe, a little, yeah," Aria admitted sheepishly. "But I can't get into a relationship with him until he knows about Sadie. And I'm already lying to him every time I see him."

"You're lying to him? Did you outright tell him you didn't have a child?"

Aria shook her head and looked over at Sadie who was blowing a piece of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes. "No. But it's lying by omission and I feel really bad about it."

Ella took a minute to decide what would be the best way to answer. She studied a painting on the wall of her house until she found the words she was looking for, the words that she knew Aria needed to hear. She didn't want to terrify her by telling her that Ezra might not forgive her, but she didn't want to make her think that it would all go over smoothly. Most likely things would be a little tense for a while.

"Aria, you're right in the sense that you need to tell him. And it should be you that tells him; not anyone else. And it's probably best that you don't expect smooth sailing after he finds out. Ezra's the type of person that is going to take this really hard. He's going to be a little angry that he missed out on the first two almost three years of her life. He's going to be a little mad at you for not telling him," Ella said slowly, carefully wording her sentences.

Aria set the pen down as she listened to what her mom was saying. Spencer had told her something similar but part of her had still deluded herself into thinking that it would all okay.

"But, Aria, despite everything that has happened, Ezra still loves you and will always love you. He'll get over it but it's important that you are completely honest with him. He deserves that," Ella stated calmly. Over the years that Aria was gone she and Ezra had rebuilt their friendship and she had learned just how ardently he loved her daughter. Any bitter feelings against him had long since melted away.

A small smile formed on her cheeks at her mother's words.

"But it will all work out. Don't lose faith in him Aria because he didn't lose faith in you when you disappeared without a trace for three years. He never lost hope that someday you would return to him even though any other rational person wouldn't have waited that long."

Aria was about to reply when her phone rang. She slipped it out of her pocket, "I have to take this."

Ella nodded and didn't say anything as her petite daughter walked out of the front door and placed the phone to her ear. She turned to her granddaughter who was twisting her long, brown hair around her finger. "Are you bored, honey?"

Sadie nodded and looked at her grandma with her grave blue eyes. Ella had learned that Sadie never complained or whined. She accepted whatever Aria told her to do without second guessing anyone. If you wanted to know how she was feeling you had to ask her directly because she normally wouldn't express her thoughts out loud.

"Do you want a cookie?" Ella asked, quickly glancing towards the door where Aria had left through. It was still shut and she could vaguely hear the sound of her voice coming in through the open kitchen window.

Sadie raised her eyebrows, "Mommy said no cookies until after lunch."

Ella smiled, "Your mommy doesn't need to know. It can be our little secret." The older woman stood up and offered a hand to the toddler.

Sadie eyed her grandma with a thoughtful gaze and then finally allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. She reached out and took Ella's hand and together the two of them went over to where Ella always had a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for this exact purpose. After all, a grandma's main purpose was to spoil their grandchildren. It was practically an unwritten rule of grand-parenting.

Ella lifted the little girl onto the granite countertop and then handed her a cookie. She then went to the fridge and pulled out a glass of milk which she gave to Sadie. The two ate their cookies in silence. Both were content to just enjoy each other's company. It was the little moments like this spent with Sadie that Ella cherished, the little memories that they made whilst coloring pictures or grocery shopping or eating chocolate chip cookies with milk. Even though they weren't big, they still meant the world to her and she hoped that someday Sadie would think the same thing.

* * *

"I thought you didn't have a job right now." Aria commented to Hunter who was on the other end of the phone. He had called just to check up on her as he had done a couple of times already. Thus far they hadn't talked about much other than the weather and an experience Hunter had while working which brought them to where they currently were.

"I do have a job. I work as a UPS delivery guy," he said, his voice portraying some of his fake offense that he took from her comment.

She smiled, "I really am amazed that anyone would hire you. Your résumé is longer than the Constitution."

Hunter scoffed audibly, "My employers are astounded with the fact that I have such a wide range of skills and such varied experiences at such a young age."

Aria rolled her eyes and sat down on the porch swing that was in her mother's back yard. Somewhere in the conversation she had wondered around to the back of the house where a little more shade was provided. "I'm pretty sure that they see that as a lack of commitment, Hunter. Your employers are probably just desperate."

"You know what, I choose to ignore your pessimism and believe that someday I will find the right job for me. And unless a lot has changed in less than a week, you don't have a job either right now so you can't be condescending Aria. Plus, I already get enough of it from Peyton. She got that promotion a couple of days ago and hasn't been off of her high horse since," Hunter said with an exasperated sigh.

Aria narrowed her eyes a little bit as he talked. His vocabulary would suggest that he was much too educated to be a delivery guy. For some reason he had never lived up to his college degree though. He had graduated from NYU with a master's in business but his lack of commitment over shadowed that positive aspect about him.

"Tell her congratulations for me, will you?" Aria said with genuine excitement for her friend. Peyton worked so hard for that job and if anyone deserved it, she did.

"I would love to pass that on for you except for the fact that it would arm her with more ammo to hit me with."

Aria laughed, "That actually sounds like Peyton. Umm, give me a sec; someone is on the other line."

She took the phone from her ear to find that Ezra was calling. She lifted the phone once more, "Is there anything else you wanted to talk about? If not then I'll take this other call."

Hunter clutched the phone harder in annoyance. "Who is it?" he tried to keep his voice steady but Aria picked up on the slight tension even though she was hours away.

"Umm, it's Ezra," she said a little hesitantly. Both Hunter and Peyton knew about her illicit affair with her teacher but she hadn't ever said his name to anyone. When they were in Rosewood the previous week they had learned his name and Aria knew that although Hunter had never met him, he already hated her English teacher.

He clenched his teeth. "I actually do have something else to tell you."

Aria raised her eyebrows. His anger was really uncalled for. "Alright, I'll just call him back later." She declined his call and turned her attention back to Hunter. "So what is it?"

"Have you checked your mail today?" he asked. There was something almost smug in his voice now. She wasn't sure whether it was because she had declined Ezra's call or because of whatever was in the mail.

"I got it but I haven't looked at it yet. It's on the passenger seat in Spencer's car," Aria answered and glanced in the general direction of the borrowed vehicle since she couldn't see it from her position in the back.

"Check it and keep me on the phone while you do," Hunter encouraged.

She complied and went back to the front and slid into the driver's seat. She quickly sifted through the mail. Some of it was Spencer's bills. There were a few various interior design magazines and a letter from Mary Hastings which was Spencer's aunt if she remembered correctly.

At the bottom of the stack was where she found what Hunter had been referencing. It was an official letter from the New York University admissions board. "Give me a sec," she told Hunter as she quickly ripped the letter open and pulled out the contents.

Her eyes quickly scanned over the official letter. She skimmed over the words until she saw the words: We're glad to inform you that your application to NYU has been accepted for the coming year. Her eyes widened. She quickly scanned through the rest of the letter and then sat it down and leaned her head back against the leather seat.

She had applied for NYU for the past two years but they had already been full. The letter in her hand was the one that she had been waiting for since moving to New York. Aria couldn't lie and say that she wasn't beyond ecstatic to receive the letter of acceptance.

But then she remembered that she had just returned to Rosewood. She couldn't leave again so soon, could she? Why did this have to come at the most inconvenient time?

"So?" Hunter prodded.

Aria was without words at the current moment. It took a minute to actually formulate a sentence, "When did you get this?"

Hunter glanced at the calendar that was on Joanne's fridge. "Two days ago and I sent it directly to you as soon as I saw it."

She shook her head slowly, her mind still processing what this could mean. "How?"

Hunter about said something sarcastic about how he went to the post office and bought a stamp and so on but he didn't. "I might have contacted my friend whose mom is on the board at the school. I gave her your application and told her how amazing you were and she passed it along to her mom who agreed with me and now you're in. It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

Part of Aria was flying high but the other part thought about all of the consequences. She thought about her mom and taking Sadie away from her after the relationship the two had formed. She thought about her friends and the warm welcome she had received from each of them. She thought about the relationship with Ezra that would probably never happen if she left again.

"I thought so while I was there," Aria said, the effects of both sides were pressing down on her with full force causing her to almost have a headache.

Hunter furrowed his brow, "What do you mean? Aria, NYU was your dream ever since I first met you. You wanted to go and get a degree so you could find a better job and be able to provide for Sadie as she grew up."

Aria let out an exasperated sigh. "I still want to care for Sadie and give her the best possible life, but now she has a family."

"But Sadie has a family here to. Me, Peyton, Joanne. We all love her, Aria. That little college you have there can't give you the education that NYU can. Come on, think about it. Think about what this could mean for you and for Sadie," he pleaded.

"I am thinking about it and I know that you guys love Sadie and I appreciate that. And I know that Hollis isn't exactly of NYU's caliber but it's still good. This isn't an easy decision for me, Hunter. I just got me life back. I can't just leave again."

His anger was building inside him. Anger against her for leaving. Anger against Melissa who had found her. Anger at Ezra for still holding her heart and never letting it go so that he could have a chance to win her over. "Aria! Think about what you want. Not how it will affect anyone else. What do you want?"

In her mind she said, "I want Ezra," but out loud she said, "I want to be with my family and friends. And I want to go to NYU. I'm going to seriously consider it and I don't have to make the decision overnight."

"This shouldn't be a hard decision, Aria! You're finally in, no thanks to me. You can come back to New York and attend the school of your dreams."

_And leave the man of my dreams, _she thought. "I appreciate all that you did, Hunter. Really, I do. But I spent three years away from home and now I'm back. I have my friends and my family again."

Finally Hunter exploded, "Aria! You're not concerned about your friends and family. All you want is your English teacher back." His voice was almost menacing.

Aria was stunned that he went there and quite hurt. This wasn't like him. "Hunter. Just stop. My English teacher," she said those words with slight derision, "is also Sadie's father. He is the literal father of my child. He deserves an opportunity to know her."

He scoffed, "You don't really care about him knowing Sadie. You just want him to sleep with you again." Hunter stood and pulled the strongest drink Joanne had in the cupboards and poured himself a glass. He took a large swig and then slammed the cup back onto the counter.

Aria bit her lip to both stop the tears and the words that were threatening to leave her mouth. They weren't explicit words at all; she had given up those words ever since Sadie was born. But they were words that she knew that she would probably regret saying in the future. The fact that Hunter who had been her adopted brother and support system for so long said that to her stung.

"I can't believe you went there Hunter. You know that Sadie is my first priority," she choked out, those words somehow finding their way around the other words that were threatening to come out.

"It's the truth. You haven't moved on from your English teacher who just took advantage of you _and_ your beautiful little body. He was using you." His glass was already gone and he was filling a second one.

Aria shook her head angrily and clenched her teeth, "I've never let anyone take advantage of me, Hunter. I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not that kind of girl. I don't know what's going on in your head right now, but you need to back off, Hunter. It's my life. I'm capable of making my own decisions and it shouldn't affect you. I'm sorry if you disapprove, but it's my choice. If you ever say anything like that to me again, intoxicated or not, you will never be allowed near Sadie again." She was furious and her whole 5'2" frame was practically shaking with anger.

"Do you know what it's like to love someone so completely and to have them not reciprocate those feelings in any way? It's torture, Aria. Painful, never-ending torture. It kills me," his voice had taken a sorrowful edge and his words were slightly slurred by the alcohol.

Aria felt sorry for him. She knew that he had feelings for her but she hadn't known the extent of those feelings. It was almost scary to hear how genuine his confession was. "I'm sorry, Hunter," she whispered.

He took a minute to reply and she used that time to force herself to take deep breaths rather than the short ones that she had been. It felt like she was almost going to hyperventilate and she slowly forced the air into her lungs.

Outside a slight breeze came in through the open door causing Arias hair to dance across her face lightly. The sky seemed to be too bright for the feelings she was having; the day was too cheery for the emotions that were coursing through her.

"No, of course you don't know how it feels. You've always had Ezra whether you were with him or whether you were in New York. You always had him. And I've always had nothing. I had a slight thread of hope that I clung to even though it seemed that you would never let him go. And now you're gone and that thread is breaking. And when it breaks, I fall. All the way to rock bottom," his voice was so impassioned and low he sounded like he was legitimately being tortured and facing death. There was no way that it was healthy.

"What are you expecting me to do? I can't tell my heart who it should love. And Hunter, I love you as a friend. As an older brother type person who was there for me. But nothing more," she told him, determined to make sure that he heard it how it was.

He downed the rest of the second cup and again reached for the bottle. "Just go, Aria. Go call him." Hunter ended the call and returned to his drink. As he drank he felt his world slipping away as the alcoholic beverage dulled his senses. It was the only thing strong enough to take her off of his mind. Hunter knew that what he felt wasn't natural and it wasn't healthy. He could see the darkness that was beginning to consume him and he could do nothing to stop it. It scared him.

He shook his head out of anger and sorrow and then filled his glass yet another time.

* * *

The sound of Hunter's voice when he said that last sentence replayed in Aria's mind numerous times. He sounded broken and haunted. Something wasn't right, but she knew it wasn't her fault. She would have to talk to Peyton about it later because, despite what he had said to her, she still cared about him.

For now though she needed to hear Ezra's voice. He alone had the power to calm her nerves with a single word and she needed to calm down right now.

Aria set the NYU letter on the seat next to her and curled up in the driver's seat as she called his number.

It rang a few times before he answered. "Aria? Hi."

She smiled. Hearing him say her name, especially when she was down, could always bring a smile to her face. "Hi," she breathed out, relief already starting to settle in.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. She had only said one word but he could tell something had happened.

Aria glanced over at the letter. "Yeah, things are fine. You called but I was on the phone with someone else. Sorry. "

For some reason he didn't buy her things are fine story, but he let it slide. "I was just calling to say that you left your jacket at the bar last night. I found it after I went inside. Do you want me to bring it to you?"

Aria shook her head even though he couldn't see her over the phone. "No, no. Can you just bring it to the wedding next Wednesday?"

He nodded, "Yeah, sure."

"Thank you, Ezra. So much."

He raised his eyebrow, "That's quite excessive praise for a jacket Aria. Is something else going on?"

She would maybe tell him about her conversation in the future, but for now she settled with, "I just really needed to hear your voice, Ezra."

He smiled, so happy that she still called him when she needed to calm down. It showed that she knew she could call him at anytime for anything and it made him content. "I'm always here for you, Aria," he said softly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. "Not right now. Thank you though."

He nodded, determined not to push her. She would open up when she was ready. "Just know that you can call me twenty-four seven."

Aria smiled, "Ezra, it takes a bulldozer to wake you up in the middle of the night."

He shrugged and answered honestly, "Not when you're concerned. I used to wake up every time you got out of bed just to make sure you were okay. If you were going through a rough time I made sure my phone was within arm's length so I could answer it at any given time."

Her smile widened, "Thank you, Ezra. Seriously."

"Like I said, anytime Aria."

"I've got to go help my mom, but I'll see you soon, okay?" she said.

"Okay."

She ended the call and set the phone on her lap. Though she was still riled up after her conversation with Hunter and she still was considering the NYU offer, that conversation had been enough to make the emotions bearable.

Once again she glanced over at the letter of acceptance and then climbed out of the car and walked back inside.

Sadie was sitting on the counter while her mom was filling up a glass of milk. Aria's eyes instantly went to the yellow plate where her mom kept her cookies and found that it was almost half empty.

"Mom?" she asked.

Ella looked over at her and smiled, "Hi honey. Don't mind us."

Sadie set a half-eaten cookie on the granite next to her once she saw her mommy come in.

"How many has she had?" Aria questioned a little exasperated.

Ella placed the milk back into the fridge and shrugged, "Only five."

Aria shook her head, "She's going to be sick."

Ella's smile just widened and Sadie offered a playful smile as well. Aria rolled her eyes. Leaving Sadie with Ella for any longer than ten minutes was dangerous.

* * *

"Aria, that is absolutely beautiful. Sadie will be the most adorable flower girl in the world. I wish that she were here when Caleb and I were married," Hanna pouted.

Ella had asked Aria and her four friends to be her bridesmaids since she didn't really have anyone else. All of them had agreed instantly, each of them happy to help out Aria's mom.

"I agree. That dress is perfect," Emily nodded from her position on the bench next to Ali, Spencer, and Hanna. Aria was standing beside Sadie since she had just helped her get dressed. They were currently in a small dress shop finding Sadie a flower girl outfit and them dresses.

The dress she was wearing was ivory with a turquoise ribbon around the middle. It poofed out at the waist and went down to her ankles. Sleeves covered her shoulders and her brown hair looked very pretty against the cream color.

"And then if we curl her hair and add a little headband with ribbons on the back," Hanna said, excitedly clapping her hands. She had always loved dressing people up and this was her first opportunity to for a little child. It certainly wouldn't be her last though.

"I like it too. I think we'll get this one," Aria nodded, looking down at Sadie. She especially loved the big bow on her back. It added character.

Emily sighed, "Now we just need to find a dress for us."

Hanna jumped up quickly and immediately took to wandering around and finding a dress that was similar in color to the one she wore to prom her junior year. That was what Ella had decided on since the reception would be at the Brew which had a rustic feel. The turquoise fit in well with that and would require much less decorating.

Aria and Sadie went back inside the dressing room to switch the dress for Sadie's leggings and t-shirt.

The rest of the girls joined Hanna and found quite a few options. Various girls took turns modeling the dresses until they found one they all liked and there were enough in stock of the right size. It was simple and elegant. The skirts flowed down to the floor and the front and back were high enough. Sleeves covered their shoulders. A few small gems encrusted the top half but it wasn't enough that would attract the attention from the bride.

"Turn in a circle," Aria instructed Spencer who was modeling it.

Ali and Emily both nodded, "I like it."

Hanna gave it a thorough examination before agreeing with them. Aria and Spencer both approved and that was settled.

"As much as I love shopping, I'm ready to leave. I need to find a bathroom," Hanna said almost instantly after they had made their purchases.

Alison rolled her blue eyes, "You always need to go to the bathroom, Hanna. Seriously you've already gone three times and we've been out for two hours."

A slight blush crept onto Hanna's cheeks, "I can't help it."

Spencer eyed her curiously and Aria watched with amused hazel eyes. She remembered how many times she had to go to the bathroom while she was pregnant with Sadie. And she had been in school at the time. She had gone almost in between every class and it was embarrassing. But, like Hanna said, you couldn't help it. It was just part of the process.

"You can't hold it?" Spencer asked. Aria could tell that she was catching on to something.

"No, I can't. When you have a weight constantly pressing down on you bladder it's almost impossible to keep it in, alright?" Hanna snapped. Her eyes widened at what she just said. This wasn't the way she had planned on telling the rest of the girls.

Spencer, Ali, and Emily's eyes all widened. "You're pregnant?" Emily exclaimed.

Hanna's blush deepened and she looked down at the ground, "I didn't mean to tell you guys yet."

Spencer went over to the blonde and wrapped her arms around her. "Hanna, we're so excited for you. How far are you?"

"Three weeks," Hanna answered.

Ali and Emily offered their congratulations.

Spencer looked over at Aria who was the only one not joining in. "Did you know about this?"

Aria nodded, "I knew since we went to Philly. I sort of just figured it out since I had been through the same thing with Sadie."

"You're going to have a baby?" Sadie asked, her head arching back so that she could see the blonde's face.

Hanna smiled and nodded, "Yes I am and I hope that he or she is as cute as you are."

Sadie smiled.

"So do you want a girl or a boy?" Ali asked.

The girls kept bombarding her with questions until she finally had to put her hands up. "I'd love to have a nice chat with you, but I would prefer if it happened when I wasn't about to wet myself. Can we please find a bathroom?"

Aria smiled and led them to the car. That was one part of pregnancy that she certainly didn't miss.

* * *

Soft music came from a stereo system on the counter. People gathered around and were talking in small circles. Some were stocking their plates with the treats provided by Zach's employees at The Brew.

The newlyweds stood near the center of the room conversing with another couple. Ella was practically glowing and for Zach it was the same. The ceremony had gone exactly as planned. Sadie was the perfect flower girl and there were no horror tales to be told about losing the ring or the groom being late or anything like that.

The turn up had surprised even Ella and Zach. Most of Ella's colleagues from the high school as well as people she'd worked with when painting were there. Aria's friends and their families had all shown up. A huge amount of people there were Zach's acquaintances that frequented The Brew.

Aria smiled. It had been the perfect day. Everything was able to be pulled together in the brief amount of time given and she knew that her mom was pleased which made her extremely happy.

"This is really nice. I think it turned out extremely well," Spencer commented.

Aria looked over at the taller brunette. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun on the side with a few strands left out on purpose. She looked just as sophisticated as always. "I agree. I think she's really happy," Aria said, still watching her mom.

Spencer nodded. The two surveyed the room for a moment in silence until the music changed to something a little more upbeat.

Aria turned to Sadie who was standing next to them. "Let's go dance."

Sadie looked over at Spencer who nodded her encouragement. The two year old nodded, her curls bouncing. Hanna had done them earlier that day and had gotten her wish with the head band. It sat on top of her head almost like a crown and pretty ivory ribbons fell down the back of her hair.

Aria took her two year olds hand and led her out to the middle of the floor where some people had already started dancing. Spencer followed them and Hanna, Emily, and Ali soon did as well.

"Can you spin?" Emily asked Sadie who didn't really know what to do.

Sadie spun in a hesitant circle and lost her footing. She fell on her bottom and her bottom lip jutted out.

Aria smiled and swooped down to her daughter's aid. She picked her up and set her on her hip where she spun her around and danced with Emily. Eventually the toddler began enjoying herself and her beautiful smile crept onto her face.

Amidst everything else going on, Aria didn't notice when a face she hadn't seen in years walked through the door. Ali was the first one to notice Byron and she nudged Aria who was distracted by Sadie.

Aria looked up from her the two year old and saw what Ali had. There standing near the door was her father.

She instantly stopped dancing and just stared at him with wide eyes. He looked the same as he had only he had a beard now. It wasn't long but it was still there and she wasn't used to it. He looked a little unsure and Aria couldn't blame him. He was at his former wife's wedding to another man. She would feel awkward too if she were in his position.

"I thought he wasn't supposed to be back for a couple of days," Ali said, still looking at Byron Montgomery. She had had a little bit of association with him regarding his affair with Meredith and consequently he never really liked her.

"So did I," Aria said. "Can you watch Sadie for like two seconds?"

Ali nodded and took the little girls hand.

Aria weaved through the groups of people and then flung herself at her father with no warning.

Byron was able to catch her though he didn't realize who she was at first. The woman had just appeared from behind a group of people and jumped at him.

Finally Aria let go enough for Byron to see who she was. His mouth fell open as he processed who stood before him. "Daddy," Aria said quietly, her hazel eyes shining with tears.

Only one little girl had ever addressed him like that and it was the same girl who stood before him now. Although, she was no longer little. His baby girl was all grown up. But she was back.

His eyes filled with tears as well and he pulled her into him again, pushing his questions aside for a minute as he took the moment to enjoy her embrace.

"I missed you," Aria whispered.

Byron smiled and rubbed her back. "I missed you too, Aria. You're back."

"Yeah, I am. So are you. I thought you were supposed to be in Boston for a few more days."

Byron let go of Aria and took a step back. "I was but I decided that I should come and support your mother."

Aria smiled, "I'm glad you're here."

Her father was still processing that she was back. "Where were you, Aria?"

The small brunette looked over in the direction of the place where her friends and Sadie had been dancing. Ali was no longer with them and she soon spotted her just a few feet away with Sadie in tow. "I'll answer your questions but first there's someone you need to meet."

Ali took that as her cue to enter the scene and she stepped out from behind the people with Sadie. She handed the two year old back to Aria and then said hello to Byron before slipping back into the crowd.

Byron looked confused, "Who's this?"

Aria picked Sadie up and then turned back to her father. "This is Sadie. Your granddaughter."

His eyes widened. "You have a daughter?"

Aria nodded and bit her lip as she waited in anticipation for his response.

"And she's Ezra's?"

Again Aria nodded.

Byron reached out and touched the little girl's shoulder. She burrowed her head into Aria's shoulder and hid her face.

"She's really shy but after a while she warms up."

"Aria, she's beautiful. I can't believe that I'm a grandpa. And I can't believe that you're back."

A spark of hope lit up in Aria's eyes. "So you're not mad?"

His eyes softened as he shook his head, "No I'm not mad, Aria. I have no reason to be."

"Well I just thought since she is Ezra's daughter as well that you might be upset because you haven't always been his biggest fan."

"I know I haven't and I'm sorry about that. I almost did and I said some stuff that I wish I hadn't. I should have trusted you more." His apology was sincere. "But you do owe me quite a few answers, young lady. Shall we?" he gestured towards an empty couch towards the back of The Brew.

She smiled and nodded, "Let's."

* * *

Ezra walked briskly along the dark sidewalks of Rosewood. He had informed Ella earlier in the week that he would be unable to make it to the wedding because he had a meeting with his publisher. However that meeting had ended early and he was still in time to attend the reception part of it.

He pushed open the door to The Brew and quickly scanned the room. It was quite packed and he couldn't see Aria but he knew that she would be there. In various positions he could see Ali, Emily, and Hanna. Spencer was also out of sight.

His eyes met Ali's and for a brief moment she looked panicked. She turned to Emily and whispered something in her ear. Emily nodded and took off towards the back of the room. Ali went over to meet him with a quickly produced smile.

"Ezra, it's so good to see you again. It's been at least a few months, hasn't it?"

Ezra thought back quickly. The last time he had run into Ali was at the grocery store. She had helped him locate the cranberries since he was having troubles. "Yeah, probably about that."

Ali looked him up and down quickly. His suit was black and his tie was red with a little black in it. His hair was a little longer than he normally kept it but it looked good. He looked good.

"Mrs. Montgomery told us that you couldn't make it this evening," she said with one eyebrow raised.

He nodded, "I wasn't planning on it but my evening cleared up so here I am."

"You look good by the way." The way that she said that made Ezra get a little suspicious. Ali gave out compliments only when she was suggesting something or when she wanted one in return.

"Umm, thank you," he smiled slightly. "Have you seen Aria around?"

Alison's blue eyes narrowed, "Why?"

"I have her jacket in my car and I need to return it," he shrugged. That was by no means the whole answer though and Ali picked up on it. Even though she genuinely wanted Aria to be happy, she still harbored feelings for Ezra. She was always used to getting who she wanted but with Ezra that hadn't been the case. He had chosen Aria and she was jealous because of it.

"She's around," Ali answered vaguely. "So what are your summer plans? I mean now that schools out you have to do something to occupy your time. What is it? Scrabble? Bingo? Checkers? Shuffleboard with old men?"

He rolled his eyes, "Haha, very funny. I'm not that old though."

She smirked, "You're getting to be. What are we now? Thirty?

"Not yet," he answered, still anxious to find Aria. "Can you answer my question though?"

Ali was a little annoyed with the fact that he was still thinking about her. "She didn't show tonight. She was really moody earlier and decided that she couldn't stand the fact that Ella was marrying someone who wasn't Byron. I guess she got cold feet even though her mom didn't."

Ezra narrowed his eyes. That didn't sound like Aria, "You're lying."

Alison smirked again and went onto her tiptoes before quoting softly in his ear, "Sometimes lies are more interesting than the truth." She went back down and then walked off with a dramatic flip of her hair and with her hips swaying a little bit more than usual which Ezra didn't pay attention to at all.

He went and approached Ella who had just finished a conversation with someone else. As soon as she saw him her smile widened and she started in his direction. "Ezra! I thought you said you couldn't make it."

He smiled, "My meeting got done faster than I had anticipated. Congratulations!"

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. "Thank you so much for coming, Ezra. I really appreciate it."

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it," he said with a nod.

Zach approached them and shook Ezra's hand, "Thank you for coming."

Ezra offered his congratulations to him as well and the three pursued a conversation for a minute about various things like Ezra's career and Ella's painting and Zach's business. After a minute Ezra turned to Ella, "Have you seen Aria around lately?"

She quickly glanced around the room and then she remembered where she had last seen her daughter. She also remembered that Sadie had been on her lap.

Ezra followed her gaze and saw a glimpse of Aria's hair. "Thank you. Again, congratulations to the both of you."

They smiled, Ella's a little tight. If he approached Aria and she still was holding their daughter this night could go south very quickly.

Ezra walked towards the back of The Brew to where he had a full view of her. She was immersed in a conversation with her dad and it looked like they were just catching up. If he remembered correctly Byron was at some conference and wasn't supposed to be back yet. This was very likely the first time he had seen her since her return.

He didn't mind that she was busy though because she could use that time to watch her.

Aria's hair fell in loose curls almost all of the way down her back. They contrasted beautifully against the turquoise dress that fell down all the way to the ground so that only the tips of her shoes were showing. For some reason she was wearing converses but he wasn't really surprised. Aria was never one to dress normally.

Her makeup had been carefully applied and was done so that it accented her hazel eyes. He had told her so many times that she didn't need it but she still persisted on using it.

A few bracelets adorned her wrists and a necklace with diamonds hung around her neck. Her earrings were larger than normal and normal was already pretty big.

Her best feature right then was her smile though. It had the ability of lighting up the darkest room and making everyone feel happy. Whenever he saw it, he couldn't help but smile himself. She was gorgeous and he had no idea why a woman as beautiful as her had ever fallen for a man as imperfect as him.

She looked up and their gazes met. She blushed and he smiled. Byron noticed as well and he quickly left Aria to herself on the couch.

Once he was out of sight Ezra approached where Aria sat. A new song had just come on and around the room people were already pulling their dates out onto the floor.

She smiled as he neared and he felt himself fall for her a little more, if that was even possible.

He extended a hand towards her. "May I have this dance?"

* * *

**SO next chapter Ezra finds out about Sadie! I was going to write more in this chapter but I'll save it for next chapter because this one is already extremely long. I hope you guys liked it and please review! I love to hear what you guys think:)**


	11. Chapter 11

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

_He extended his hand towards her. "May I have this dance?"_

Aria took his hand and stood up. "When I talked to you earlier you said that you weren't going to be able to make it."

"My meeting ended sooner than I thought it would. I came straight here," he answered, leading her out to the middle of the floor.

"My mom really appreciates it," Aria said.

Ezra looked down at her, "Aria, as much as I love your mom, I came to see you."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "It still means a lot."

He stopped once they found an open space and wrapped his arm around her waist. She placed her hand on his shoulder. Their other hands stayed intertwined as they began swaying with the soft music.

_Happiness is just outside my window_

Aria looked up at him with her large hazel eyes, a small smile on the corner of her lips. "I love this song," she whispered.

"B26."

"Did you have anything to do with that?" Aria asked quietly.

A slight smirk crossed his face, "It's a possibility."

The two fell silent, enjoying being that close to each other. It felt so natural – so right – for them to be in each other's arms. The world around them disappeared and they saw only each other. Their eyes were locked and the small smile stayed on Aria's lips.

_ Happiness feels a lot like sorrow_

_ Let it be, you can't make it come or go_

_ But you are gone- not for good but for now_

_ Gone for now feels a lot like gone for good_

Ezra softly brushed back a strand of her curled air and tucked it behind her ear, his hand lingering next to her cheek for a second before going back to her waist. She closed her eyes and laid her head against his shoulder as they slowly rocked back and forth. Out of instinct he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

The lighting in the room dimmed a little bit as more people started dancing. The talking died down and the room took on a more romantic feel.

"You're not leaving again right?" Ezra asked quietly. He had already asked that once but he needed to hear her say that she was going to stay. He needed her reassurance that she wouldn't leave and break his heart again.

Aria's mind instantly flashed to the NYU letter of acceptance that sat at the bottom of her purse. She hadn't told anyone about it or her conversation with Hunter but she had given the offer serious thought. For days she was back and forth. Part of her wanted to go to that school. Part of her didn't want to leave Rosewood again.

Being in the arms of the man who she loved though made the decision for her. There was no way she would leave him again. Not in a million lifetimes. It felt too good when he held her, too natural when he touched her, too right when he kissed her. "No. I'm not leaving again."

Ezra pulled her a little closer as they continued to dance to their song. The song that had been them since the beginning. The song that was B26. The song that was now their love story written by Ezra Fitz.

Aria closer her eyes and just took in the feeling. It would be perfect if the guilt of not telling him about Sadie wasn't eating at her. She made the resolution that she would tell him that night, but for that moment she let herself be enveloped in his arms. Depending on how he took the news, this might be the last time they would be in such a position for a while.

* * *

Emily crouched next to Sadie near the side of The Brew. From their position they had a clear view of the two lovers who were too focused on each other to notice that quite a few people throughout the room had their eyes on the two. And it wasn't because people knew about their illegal relationship; it was because of the chemistry they were reflecting.

Just by glancing at the way the two were holding each other one could tell how deeply they cared for one another. If that were a movie, they would be the couple that everyone else stood back and watched while a spotlight followed them as they twirled across the dance floor. Aria would be the beautiful princess in a flowing gown. Ezra would be the handsome prince in a crisp suit.

The bystanders watched as Ezra slowly turned Aria around before pulling her back to him where they assumed their previous positions. With the lighting and the music and the dresses, it was almost like a scene straight from a fairytale. Emily just hoped that they could give it a happy ending.

She had seen them go through so much together. It was obvious that both were still in love with each other, but with Sadie and Aria's going AWOL for three years she wasn't sure how it would turn out. But, after seeing them together on the dance floor, her uncertainty dissipated. Their story already had a once upon a time and she no longer doubted that it would also have a happily ever after.

While Emily was genuinely happy for her best friend, she watched the two with slightly sorrowful eyes. She had never experienced the type of love that Aria and her former English teacher shared and at that point in her life it didn't seem like she would. At one point she had loved Ali, but Emily learned that there was no good ending for that. Ali was still too volatile. She had cared deeply for Maya but she was no longer alive. And then there was Paige.

Emily still harbored some feelings for her despite their rocky beginning. She had been one of Ali's enemies. She had almost drowned her in the swimming pool. But, despite all of that, she had really grown to respect her. Their relationship had faded once Ali returned to Rosewood and they never rebuilt it. Paige went to college and the two fell out of touch.

Now Emily was by herself, consigned to watch as her friends found love yet never experiencing it herself. She had been right by Hanna's side as she said 'I do' to Caleb. She had been the person Ali would go to right after she got back from a date with various Rosewood men. She was among the first to notice Spencer's growing feelings for Wren. She was there watching Aria's little girl while she danced with her Prince Charming. But love always seemed to steer clear of her.

She didn't really resent it though. When the time was right, she would find that person who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She just had to be patient and that was one thing Emily was actually pretty good at.

"She looks pretty, doesn't she Sadie?" Emily asked the two year old who hadn't taken her eyes off of the pair. It was the first time she had ever seen her parents together and though she didn't fully understand it, it still produced a small smile on her little mouth.

Sadie nodded and her curled hair bobbed up and down. "She looks happy."

Emily rubbed the toddler's back lightly. "She does look very happy."

Sadie watched as the man she had only seen in a picture once again spun her mom in a circle. "Is he happy?"

The older girl pulled Sadie into her side and adjusted her headband that had slipped so that it was falling in front of her eyes. "He is very happy, too. Are you happy?"

Sadie nodded again, this time being careful to hold the headband with her hand so that it wouldn't move.

Emily smiled and they fell silent as they both turned their attention back to Aria and Ezra. Emily had learned a long time ago that fairytales were just that, tales. But watching them dance made it seem like she was living in one, even if it were only for a few fleeting minutes.

* * *

_Happiness is like the old man told me_

_ Look for it, but you'll never find it all_

_ Let it go, live your life and leave it_

_ Then one day, wake up and she'll be home_

The final measures of the song floated through the air bringing the magical moment to an end. Aria pulled back and looked up at Ezra with soft hazel eyes.

Ezra lifted a hand and gently brushed her cheek. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" he asked, his voice low and husky.

Her gaze flicked to his mouth for a split second before returning up to his eyes which were a dark blue in the dim lighting. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she blushed. There was something about the way that he said it that made her _feel_ beautiful. It wasn't like the times when Hunter had said it. He made it sound like it was a trivial thing but Ezra made it sound like it was much deeper, much more meaningful.

"A couple of times, yeah," Aria answered. At that moment Aria was torn between going on tiptoes and kissing him like she had wanted to since returning or leading into the inevitable conversation. She decided on the second option.

Aria reached up and pushed back the lock of hair that always fell onto his forehead. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

Ezra looked around the room and found where Ella and Zach were talking amidst a small group of people. He turned back to Aria and raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to stay? It doesn't get over for another hour."

"Umm, yeah. But I think I can slip away," Aria said. "Let me just go tell Emily and see if she can cover for me."

"We can just wait an hour, Aria."

She shook her head. He needed to know and she couldn't keep it a secret anymore. Every second she spent with him was another second she spent lying to him. "It really can't wait, actually."

Ezra narrowed his eyes but nodded. "Where do you want to go?"

Several possibilities popped into Aria's mind. There was the park that was isolated at this hour. There was Spencer's house. There was her mom's house, Snooker's bar, Ezra's car, the Rosewood overlook. There was always his apartment…

"Just somewhere where we can talk without being interrupted." Aria shrugged and stood up on her tiptoes to try to see Emily. Even on her tiptoes she couldn't see above the surrounding people.

Ezra smiled. Aria was still short at her tallest and that was one thing that would never change. He gently pushed her shoulders down until she was flatfooted again. "You might want to try a different tactic there."

The small brunette rolled her eyes. "Let me just go find Emily and then we can go."

"Hanna's over there," Ezra said, gesturing towards the snack bar. "Why don't you tell her instead?"

Aria thought of a quick excuse. "Do you really think Hanna would get the word to the other girls? She'd forget before she made it ten feet. I'm just going to go find Emily."

Ezra was still confused as to why Aria was deadest on finding Emily. Hanna was capable of telling the other girls; after all, talking was what Hanna did best. He just shook his head slightly and started to follow Aria as she made her way towards the edge of the room.

Abruptly she stopped and turned around. "Can you go tell my mom that we're cutting out early?" she asked. "Please?"

"I just tell her that you and I are leaving early? She could interpret that in so many different ways, Aria. It might be a little strange," Ezra said, playing the fake scenario out in his mind. He imagined a lot of awkward questions and untrue assumptions.

Aria hadn't thought about that. Her mom would understand but Ezra wouldn't understand why she would understand. "That's true. Can you just go start a conversation with her?"

Once again Ezra narrowed his eyes. Something was going on but he was clueless as to what. "Sure. You'll just meet me near the front?"

Aria nodded and offered a small smile before turning and slipping into the crowd with a general idea of where Emily would be. She came and got Sadie from her as soon as they saw Ezra walk through the front door. Emily had said that she would just take her to the side where she would be out of sight.

She heard Sadie before she saw her. "Mommy!"

Aria turned 180 degrees and saw Sadie running towards her. She crouched down as best she could in the dress and met her daughter with open arms. Sadie wrapped her little arms around Aria's neck and Aria pulled her close. "Hi, sweetie. Did you have fun with Emily?"

Sadie nodded and pulled back to look at her mom. She placed a hand on both sides of her face and gave her a serious look. "You were dancing with daddy."

Aria smiled, "I was, wasn't I?"

The two year old got an impish look in her blue eyes, "Uh-huh."

Emily came around a group of people, "Hey, there you are. How was your dance?"

Aria raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips. "It was good but it's going to go south pretty quick." She stood up and kept holding Sadie's hand.

Emily lifted her dress and came a little closer. The heels she was wearing were four inches tall and she was only wearing them because her dress was too long and she hadn't had time to get it adjusted. Even with the added height she had already stepped on the turquoise fabric four times.

"What's happened?" Emily asked with a concerned look on her face.

Aria sighed, "I'm going to tell him. Tonight."

Emily nodded. She had thought about how that conversation would go numerous times while watching Sadie. She figured that part of Ezra would be mad at Aria for not telling him sooner and part of him wouldn't want to hurt her. She figured that he would feel guilty for not being there for the first almost three years of Sadie's life. She figured that things would be tense between Aria and Ezra for a while. But she _knew_ that he would fall in love with Sadie just like everyone else had. And she had no doubt that he would be everything Sadie had dreamed her daddy would be.

"Just tell him the truth, Aria. Every detail of it. He'll understand. It will be okay," Emily reassured.

Aria looked over in the direction of where she had sent Ezra, "Yeah, hopefully. We're going to go talk and I obviously can't bring Sadie, so could you watch her?"

"I'm supposed to go over to my parents' house and keep an eye on my dad since my mom has a work meeting." She could see Aria bite her lip which meant she was stressed and nervous. "But I'm sure my dad would love to meet Sadie. I can keep her as long as you need me to."

Aria let out a small sigh. "Thank you, Emily. She has pajamas at Spencer's if you want to get them."

"I think I saw Spencer with Wren earlier. I probably don't want to disturb her so she can just wear one of my old t-shirts."

The smaller brunette nodded and crouched down once again to talk to Sadie. "You're going to go with Emily for a little while but I'll pick you up later. Can you be a good girl for me?"

Sadie nodded. "Where are you going?"

Aria smiled and fixed her headband that had slipped out of place for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. "I'm going to go talk to someone."

"Daddy?" she asked quietly.

The young mother nodded, "Yes, I'm going to go talk to your daddy."

"About what?" Sadie whispered.

"About you and about New York and about lots of things," Aria replied, gently brushing her daughter's hair behind her ear.

Sadie glanced up at Emily. "Can I come?"

Aria shook her head, "Not right now."

The two year old stuck her bottom lip out slightly in her signature pouty face. "Why not?"

Aria couldn't help but smile. "Why are we whispering Sadie?"

Sadie furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know."

Aria kissed her forehead and gave her a quick hug. "I love you, sweetie. I'll see you later, okay?"

The toddler nodded and then let go of Aria who once again thanked Emily before going to find Ella, Zach, and a soon-to-be angry Ezra. It was going to be an interesting night.

* * *

Ella had been among the crowd of people who had watched Aria and Ezra as they danced. She had seen the loving look in her daughter's eyes when she glanced up at her former English teacher. She had seen the tender look in her colleague's eyes when he looked down at her only daughter. There was no denying that the two were as much in love as they were before Aria left. They just didn't know it yet.

As Aria's mother, she had seen all of the different phases that she had gone through. As a baby she had always been very cuddly. Ella would spend hours in the rocking chair they had kept in her nursery until the little girl was asleep and she almost was also. Then there was the period of her life where she had been referred to as Pookie Bear. During that time was when she and Byron had first got a glimpse of their daughter's passion of literature and writing and reading. She would spend at least half of her day reading books to Mike who was just a baby at the time and couldn't object. After that she became fascinated with poetry and would sit outside every morning and write haikus about everything from the bluebirds to the mailman. Then she started to hit her teenage years.

Those years she had really turned to her writing to express herself. She had started to spend more time with her friends and less with their family. She had even dyed her hair pink. When they moved to Iceland she reconnected a little bit with her family but then they returned to Rosewood and she went through a phase that neither of her parents knew how to deal with.

Ella and Byron had always raised her to be very independent and open-minded about most things. They never limited her style or her dreams and they always encouraged her to go after what she wanted. They weren't aware that what she wanted was the man who stood at the front of her English classroom wearing a tie and vest.

Every single detail of the night Ezra Fitz stood in their living room still stood out vividly in her mind. When he had requested that meeting she had been a little cautious but had never imagined what the meeting would contain of. She could still see him stand in front of the couch nervously before finally spitting out the words: _I'm in love with your daughter. I love Aria._

The initial feelings that coursed through her body were shock and anger and betrayal. She couldn't believe that her colleague could and would get into a relationship with a current student who was also a minor. She felt disgusted that he would pursue something so illegal without being an adult and stopping it. She regretted ever trusting him or inviting him over to dinners because he didn't deserve that trust; he had been lying to them the whole time.

And she was mad and almost disappointed in Aria. She felt betrayed because Aria hadn't slipped a word about her relationship. She had lied about where she spent her afternoons and evenings and sometimes nights. Ella thought that Aria was ignorant about how wrong her relationship was and didn't realize how bad the outcomes could be.

She had no doubt that their relationship wouldn't last.

That was until she had seen the how crushed Aria was when they cracked down on the rules and she could no longer see him.

Her bed had become her permanent residence from the second she came home until she left for school the next morning. Tears practically stained her cheeks and her headphones never left her ears. She became very irritable and annoyed. At that point any relationship she had reformed with her father disintegrated.

Ella was the first one to see how much Aria was grieving from the separation. That was the first glance she had about how deep her love for him was. Ella began to be more open and tried to understand what exactly it was. She talked to Ezra and then them together and though she didn't condone it, she also didn't condemn it. She began to have faith in Aria again and began to trust her to make her own decisions again.

She was able to keep Byron from going to the police as he had so often talked about. Eventually she was able to make him see that hurting Ezra would only destroy Aria. If he wanted to do what was best for his daughter, he would let her work through it. Reporting him to the officials was too extreme and Aria would never talk to him again. He began to loosen the leash and things returned to a semblance of normal once again.

Then she started seeing Zach and went to Europe with him. When she returned Aria was broken. She never told her exactly what had happened but Ella knew that it had to do with Ezra. Aria went as far as to say that it was a huge mistake ever getting involved with him.

Beyond that point, Ella was never really sure what was going on between the two of them anymore. He crushed her but then they were back together but she still didn't trust him but he was there for her when Ella couldn't be and it all just confused her.

In it all she learned that the love Aria and Ezra shared was stronger than anyone gave it credit to be. No matter what happened, they always returned to each other. And she was confident that that would happen once more. Even three years absence couldn't change how they felt about they felt about each other. The only thing that could be of any consequence in the matter was Sadie.

And from what Ella had gathered Aria was going to tell him that night. Ezra was in for a surprise.

"Oh yes, his new books was one of my favorite by him. I really liked how he led everyone to believe in one thing but then added that new character near the end and shook everything up. It was an ending that I don't think anyone could have anticipated," Ezra said.

Ella returned her attention to the present conversation and nodded, "For a while I thought that it was the boyfriend that murdered the son but that couldn't be further from the truth. That was really a fabulous read and I think that the author did a really good job with it."

Zach watched the two and couldn't participate because he hadn't read the book yet. It sat on the nightstand in their room gathering dust while he was immersed in a different story. He looked around at the full room and saw Aria weaving through the crowd to where they stood.

"Looks like Aria's coming," he pointed out.

Ella and Ezra both turned to watch as she approached. Ezra's eyes softened as she got closer and he stepped back to make room for her in the small circle. She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before turning to her mom.

"We're going to cut out early if that's alright. I've already talked to Emily and they'll make sure everything gets cleaned up," Aria said.

Ella nodded, "That's fine. Thank you for all of your help this week."

"Yeah, I'm really happy for you guys. Have fun in Florida."

Aria let go of Ezra's hand and hugged her mom. Ella leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Good luck sweetie. Make sure to be patient because time is what he will need after you tell him."

Aria nodded, "Thanks mom." She retracted from the hug and once again took Ezra's hand.

Ella and Zach both said goodbye to Ezra and then they turned and walked out of the door.

The cool night air was a relief after the sort of stuffy room. It was quiet, even for Rosewood, and a slight breeze played through Aria's curled hair. Occasionally a car would pass but for the most part it was still. Overhead the moon wasn't to be seen and thousands of stars dotted the dark night sky.

"It's beautiful," Aria commented, instantly thinking of Sadie who loved stars almost as much as she loved clouds. Sometimes at night Aria would wake up and Sadie would be at the window looking up at the sky. Aria would join her for a minute and then she would make her go to bed and lay by her until she fell asleep.

"I agree," Ezra said but he wasn't looking at the stars. He was watching her with his deep blue eyes and marveling that she was back for the umpteenth time.

Aria glanced over at him and smiled slightly. She squeezed his hand and returned her gaze to the panoramic view above.

"So where to now?" Ezra asked after a minute.

The brunette bit her lip. "Like I said, I need to tell you something. But first I want to change out of this dress. So I don't care where we go, just as long as we can stop at Spencer's beforehand."

Ezra gently led her down the street to where his car was parked. "We can go to my apartment and you can just wear some of my pajamas."

Aria thought about that option. She had always felt comfortable in his apartment and the words came easily when it was just them in 3B. But she also needed a place where she could make a quick escape once he got through with the immediate questions and needed to be alone.

"What's on your mind?" he asked when she didn't respond for a minute.

"I was just thinking. Is that where you want to go?"

Ezra unlocked the car and then opened the door for her. "Aria I don't care," he said as he walked around to the driver's side and ducked into his car.

It took a minute for Aria to get in and situated in the dress but she managed. "Okay, let's just go to your place."

Ezra nodded and started the car. Aria lightly ran her hand across the dashboard. She had so many memories from the passenger seat in the exact same car. All of which were pretty good memories.

"Did you write at all while you were gone?" Ezra asked, temporarily taking his gaze off of the road ahead and looking at her. He hadn't heard anything about it since she got back.

Aria gave him an incredulous look, "When have you known me not to write?"

Ezra had to give credit to that statement. While he would grade papers she would be sitting with her legs across his lap and writing. Whether it was for his class or just for fun, it didn't matter. She was always doing it.

"Anything you'd let me read?"

She tapped her finger on the dashboard. "Maybe someday."

The rest of the drive was spent in silence with Aria trying to think of a way to work Sadie into a conversation and Ezra wondering about why Aria was being so withdrawn and secretive.

They pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex and Ezra slowly pulled the keys out of the ignition. Aria kicked open the door and held her skirt up as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. With one hand she held the layers of fabric and the other she placed on the top of the car as she steadied herself. Exiting the car in a dress was never an easy ordeal.

Ezra opened the door to the apartment building and Aria stepped through, looking around as she did so.

"Let me hurry and grab your jacket out of the trunk before I forget," Ezra said and Aria nodded. He let go of the door and it swung shut with a soft thud. Aria knew that Ezra probably expected her to wait but she didn't.

She softly padded up the flights of stairs until she reached the floor with apartment 3B. She bent down and lifted up the mat that he kept right outside of his door to find the key lying on the wooden floor where it had always been. She quickly inserted it into the slot and turned before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

The walls were the familiar blue covered with various movie posters and book shelves. The back wall was lined with classics and textbooks and everything else that wouldn't fit on the encased shelves. His guitar sat near the window gathering dust.

Aria walked over to his desk and glanced over the various papers he had spread out along it. Some were bills. Others were old essays written by students. A few were various parts of his book. His laptop was shut and his chair pushed back which indicated that he had stood up hastily for some reason.

She turned to her right where the glass covered bookshelf sat. Her eyes immediately darted to the lift side where a picture of them had once stood. It was similar to the one she had on her nightstand, but, unlike her, he hadn't kept it up. The fact that he no longer had it made her heart sink a little bit. Maybe he hadn't kept the faith as well as he claimed he did.

She shook it off and continued her rounds. The couches were in the same position although they were a little less tidy than they normally were. The blanket on the back was slipping onto the cushions and the magazines on the coffee table were all spread out across the glass top and some on the floor. Apparently without a female influence in his life he was a little messier.

Aria walked to the kitchen and her eyes instinctively went to the oven where one of her favorite memories had occurred only weeks before she left. She then looked towards the counter next to the fridge where they had recreated their first 'date.'

She then wondered to the bed where she tentatively sat on the edge. Though they had had some wonderful nights there, her favorite part was always the morning. Waking up next to him with his arm wrapped protectively around her waist and his warm breath tickling the back of her neck. She loved waking with the sun and relaxing as the first rays of light filtered in through the windows.

She glanced back towards the head of the bed where more books were stored. Aria smiled and shook her head; her former boyfriend was really all an English teacher should be. He understood. He looked great in vests and ties. He took time for his students. He read more books than should be possible for a man who still had a social life.

Her eyes then flicked to the small table near the wall and a smile instantly formed on her face. The frame that had formerly been in the bookcase was now right next to his bed. The picture was one she had found while looking through his Radley files since his old one was torn from when she had gone all King Kong on his apartment and broke every possible thing she could.

She stood and picked up and frame, looking at the happy couple it depicted. That was where Ezra found her when he walked in.

He went over and joined her. "On the nights when I couldn't sleep I would sit there with my lap top and I would look at that picture until I thought of the correct words for a conversation. And in the mornings when I would wake up to an empty bed I would look at it and think of all the times I woke up with you in my arms. And when I'd come home from work I would pick it up and think of the times when I had returned home to you waiting on the couch. Seeing your picture made me miss you more, but it still helped me keep sanity."

She set it back down on the small table and turned to him. "I know that feeling," she said softly, looking up at him with her hazel doe eyes.

He nodded and then went to his dresser where he pulled out his smallest pair of flannel pants and an old grey Hollis t-shirt. "Will these work?"

Aria stood up and nodded, "Thank you."

He handed the clothes over to her then stood back to give her a better pathway to the bathroom. As soon as she shut the door he went to work tidying the place up. He quickly straightened the cushions and threw his dirty clothes into his closet and put the remnants of breakfast in the garbage. He fixed the blanket on the back of the couch and stacked up the magazines that had been strewn across the floor.

A few minutes later Aria immersed from the bathroom in his pajamas with the turquoise dress draped across one arm. Her converses were in one hand and she walked over and set them next to the door. She laid the dress across one of his kitchen chairs and then went to the living room and sat wearily onto the couch.

Ezra followed suit and sat across from her in one of the stuffed chairs. He leaned forward slightly onto his knees and waited patiently for her to begin.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. "I told you vaguely about why I left and why I didn't come back. But there are some crucial details that I didn't tell you that I should've earlier. And the only way you'll ever forgive me for this is if you know the whole story. Every little detail and nuance of what happened when I left and when I stayed gone will be important if you are going to understand why I acted in the way that I did and still am. So, please, bear with me Ezra. I need to tell you a story."

* * *

_It had been a week of never ending terrors. First it was the near suffocation in her bedroom. Then it was the drugs slipped into her hot chocolate. After that it was Ezra's 'accidental' car crash. And with each of those, fatalities were barely escaped. Aria was lucky to be alive at that point and so was everyone associated with her. They just didn't know that. _

_ Somehow A had gotten the idea that she knew something about their identity. Some major clue had been accidentally dropped that they had assumed she picked up on which she hadn't. Aria then became the top of the kill list. Ali was put on the back burner as the smallest member of the group began going through the scariest experiences in her life._

_ And it wasn't obvious to anyone. No one had any idea of the traumas she was experiencing on a daily basis because A took extra care to make sure her lips stayed sealed. Things like pictures of Ezra behind bars or her mother in a coffin or Mike bleeding out of a head wound began coming in through her email with short messages about how if anyone found out about her danger she wouldn't be the only one to suffer. A didn't worry about the innocent casualties caused while fighting in World War A. _

_ Aria couldn't submit anyone to the terror and the pain she was going through so she stayed quiet and just waited for the time that a near miss became a hit and for the time when she didn't barely escape death. For the time when it would really be over for her._

_ It wasn't I until the final incident that Aria decided to run rather than sit complacently and wait for her death._

_ She awoke by a soft thud coming from somewhere in her house. She instantly shot up and glanced at the clock. 1:14 am. She was about to lay back down when once again the sound was heard, this time mixed with the creaking of the wooden stairs._

_ No one else was home. Ella was spending a night with Zach at his place above the Brew. Mike was staying with a friend and her dad was at a conference in Philadelphia. It was just her which was a stupid position to put herself in the first place, but she had. _

_ Aria swung her short legs out from the comfort of her blankets and stepped onto the rug on her cold floor with bare feet. She quickly and quietly grabbed a flashlight and then slowly crept to the door of her room._

_ At first glance the hallway appeared normal. The furniture was slightly outlined by the dim light from the moon. The curtains ruffled lightly with the soft wind that came through the partly open window that she had made sure was shut. But then she saw the outline of a black figure._

_ Her hand flew instantly to her mouth. Screaming would do no good. She had already learned that. No one was around to hear. Her phone was still pack near her bed and she didn't dare turn her back on the black-clad person for even a second._

_ Aria stood in her doorway completely petrified. She was at a loss of what to do. The previous times she had been almost killed by the faceless predator she had always been near someone. They had helped her escape what they had seen as coincidences. But that time she was by herself. Completely by herself. _

_ "Wh-what do you want?" Aria's voice was shaky as she stood with only a flashlight to protect herself. _

_ The dark shape didn't answer. Instead they crept closer and Aria finally got a glance at what would be the murder weapon. _

_ A was holding a dagger that was probably about a foot long. _

_ The young girl stifled a scream with her hand. There was no backing up or she would be trapped in her room. She could try to run past him but she already knew that A wouldn't have a problem catching her. _

_ Outside an owl hooted and inside A came even closer until there was only ten feet between the two._

_ "What do you want?" Aria repeated, this time more sure. She had managed to calm down enough to think rationally. _

_ Then the dark figure made their move. They lunged lithely in her direction and she jumped back, hitting her head on the corner of the doorframe in the process. A strong hand clasped onto her upper arm and one more came around to cover her mouth. _

_ She bit down hard and the gloved hand recoiled. She thrashed and twisted against the firm grip but made no progress. A soon gained possession of the flashlight and quickly and effectively hit her across the back of the head, not enough to kill her but enough to made her pass out._

_ Aria remembered collapsing to the ground and then her memory faded._

* * *

_Her eyes slowly drifted open. The back of her head was throbbing making it hard to think straight. Without the adrenaline that was coursing through her body she would have stayed there and met her fate on the forested ground just outside of Rosewood, Pennsylvania. _

_ As soon as she opened her eyes she recognized the place. It was one where she and her friends had visited numerous times as kids. A must have brought her out there to finish his job. How fitting that they would find her lifeless body there._

_ Aria used her hand to push her up until she was in a position where she could turn enough. No one was in the clearing but the knife was lying on the ground a few feet away from her. _

_ She stood and quickly grabbed it, holding it out in front of her protectively as she turned in a slow circle. _

_ There was no sign of A. But, then again, they would blend in with their surroundings. The black clothes couldn't be seen amidst the dark forest on a night with no moon. _

_ Aria forced the air in and out of her mouth, commanding herself to stay calm when all she wanted to do was freak out._

_ A crack of a branch behind her made her whip around and then she got a glimpse of A. For a few minutes he darted in and out of view as he circled around her always within the safety of the dense trees. _

_ She kept a firm grip on the hilt of the dagger and watched warily for the next time the black figure would pop out from the shadows._

_ Almost sooner than she could apprehend a dark shape was lunging at her and she swung the dagger with every ounce of power her 5'2" body had. The blade connected with flesh – she wasn't sure where – and then she swung it again, this time completely missing. _

_ A jumped in and grabbed the handle of the blade and the two wrestled for it. Aria was thrown onto the ground where she kicked the back of A's leg who buckled and dropped the weapon. She dove across the needle covered forest and once again regained possession. _

_ A battle ensued for three minutes during which both people had received numerous cuts of various sizes. Warm blood from a small gash in her forehead trickled down Aria's otherwise freezing face and temporarily blinded her right eye._

_ A got the upper-hand after a while and wrapped their arm around her neck. They tightened and Aria pulled against the appendage with everything she had. When she felt her throat constrict from lack of air, she kicked backwards and where it hurt. _

_ The black-clad person loosened their grip and Aria quickly spun out of their grasp. She groped along the dark floor until her fingers brushed what she had been looking for. _

_ The knife had been discarded somewhere amidst the fight but now Aria had possession. She wasted no time to swing it and the flat of the blade connected with the mask-covered skull. A crack sounded and the figure collapsed, not dead but temporarily out._

_ Aria saw that as her only chance to escape and she took off in the direction of Rosewood. It was about half a mile away and through the trees she could see the lights from the train station. _

_ At that point it was all mental. She had already reached her physical breaking point but she had to run. That was all that ran through her mind. She needed to get away before A woke up and finished their job. _

_ Aria's breath became more labored with each step and she could see it in front of her as it condensed in the frigid November air. Her shirt snagged on a nearby branch and she kept running, hearing the ripping sound that it made as the fabric tore. She could care less about her clothes though. At that moment she was just worried about her life._

_ She used her hands to help her maneuver around the tree trunks and avoid tripping on the rocks that occasionally littered the ground. She lost her footing and fell three times, each time receiving a mouth full of dirt and new scrapes._

_ The lights of the Rosewood train station neared and Aria gave it all she had until she reached the bench. For once in the previous week she had a stroke of luck. The train came screeching to a stop only moments after she arrived._

_ The doors slid open and Aria jumped on. The minutes the train was still stopped were agonizing. She stared intently at the door waiting to be joined by the nameless figure that had haunted her and her friends for years. However, no one joined her and the train closed its door and started forward._

_ Aria let herself relax slightly and leaned her head against the window. She watched as Rosewood disappeared from view, somehow knowing that that would be the last time she had a glance of her hometown in a while._

* * *

"I took that train to Philly and got off in downtown. I didn't have any money. I didn't have a phone. I didn't have anything," Aria said, her eyes faraway as she reminisced on that November night.

Ezra had listened to her account without saying a word. At times his eyebrows had flown up or he would grip the sides of the chair, but he still stayed silent. Imagining her situation in his head was gruesome and she described it with so much detail that he was able to see it vividly.

"I knew that my dad was staying at one of his old college friend's houses so I went there. I slipped in through the back door and found my dad's wallet from which I took about $200 without waking him. I used that money to secure a room for the night on the opposite end of the town. I stayed and then the next morning I woke up to find a package on the doorway from A.

"It was a small gift bag with a note attached. In the bag was a gift card to a clothing store and a banana. A explained in the note that those could come in handy as I worked to make a new life since I was never going to regain my old one. They made it clear that if I ever contacted anyone or went home you or my mom or dad or Mike or one of my friends would pay dearly.

"For a few days I stayed off of the radar. I ate as little as possible to save money and spent a night or two on park benches. I got a cold from being out in November and was actually quite sick. I was scared and lost and didn't know what else to do so I went to a payphone and called Spencer."

Aria paused only long enough to take a breath. Her hazel eyes were focused on some book on his shelf and they refused to move. After a minute she went on. "I explained what had been going on and the threat I received. She convinced me to come home where my friends and the police and my family and you could protect me. I was getting ready to come home when my sickness got worse. I began puking my guts out and was in no condition to travel. The coughing subsided after a few days but the throwing up didn't. I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to go to a clinic because they record names and what not so I didn't.

"After another few days I noticed other changes and I finally realized what was happening. The morning after my suspicions were confirmed I received a final A message. I then went to the payphone and called Spencer one more time, telling her about the new development and that I wasn't going to be returning to Rosewood anytime soon. It wasn't just me I had to look after anymore. So I took the next train to New York and that's where I met Joanne and Hunter and Peyton who took me in and helped me finish high school and get a job. The rest is history."

Ezra could tell that she was still keeping something from him. "What did the A message say?"

Aria finally turned to look at him. She clasped her hands tightly in front of her. This was it.

"It said that if I ever returned to Rosewood they would hunt me down and make sure that I witnessed as they slowly tortured my child." Those words were barely a whisper.

Ezra's expression instantly turned to surprise, his face a little whiter than normal. He swallowed and then asked, "Your child?"

Aria bit her lip. "Actually, she's _our_ child."

* * *

**He knows! His reaction will be in the next chapter so stay tuned. Once again thank you for all of the reviews. They mean a lot to me and I love reading what you guys have to say about the story. They really provide incentive to write new chapters. And just as a forewarning, I'm in California with a basketball tournament and staying at a beach house so the next chapter probably won't come until sometime late this week or maybe even next. Anywho, please review and tell me what you think:)**


	12. Chapter 12

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

**Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter. I know it's not what you were expecting/hoping for and I apologize. In my defense though, it was already the longest chapter and I was writing it at four o'clock in the morning. And I'm sorry that this chapter is so late. I've been really busy with various vacations and reunions and shopping trips and I really have worked on this chapter whenever an opportunity presented itself.**

**Also, if you like this story, please pass it along and tell your friends about it because it would mean a lot to me. If it's subpar then I understand and you can tell me in a review. And I quickly want to thank London for all of her help. She's awesome and such an amazing friend to bounce ideas off of. London is also known as tragicallyconfused and you should check out her stories. Anywho, here we go with chapter 12… **

* * *

_"Actually, she's our child."_

Ezra's mind exploded like a supernova. One moment he was fine then the next his whole world was vibrating with the earth-shattering news that was resonating through his mind.

His eyes went to the back wall and his mouth hung open as he tried to find words to express what he was feeling. But he couldn't. Ezra Fitz who had written a five hundred and seventeen page book full of words and Ezra Fitz who said large literature words for a living couldn't find the right way to express his thoughts.

Aria watched him with worried eyes. He looked completely shocked, as he should be, and he was speechless which was so unusual. She wrung her hands and bit her lip. Did she just go on with her story? Did she wait until he asked a question? Did she stand up and leave so he could process that? She didn't know.

"I got you pregnant?" he finally forced out.

The small brunette nodded but he was too focused on his wall to see the movement. "I found out after I had been in Philadelphia for about a week. That was why I was so sick. And that's why I received that A message."

Ezra finally tore his gaze from the back of the room and looked at Aria with begging blue eyes. "You've got to give me more than that, Aria."

"I knew that A would carry through with the threat and I couldn't put our child in that sort of danger. I knew the only way that she would be safe was if I didn't return. I called Spencer and told her that I was pregnant and that I was going to New York. I took the next train out of Philly and never looked back. Joanne and Hunter and Peyton helped me through the pregnancy and then when she was born they were all life-savers. She wouldn't be alive without their constant help.

"I couldn't come back and I couldn't tell you. A would've killed you if you knew and A would have killed our child. I couldn't let that happen. Please understand," Aria pleaded.

Ezra's eyes widened even more, "You delivered the child? They survived after everything that happened with A?"

Aria nodded once again. "Somehow."

"And she was a girl?" he asked, his mind still reeling. It hadn't yet processed beyond the line where she said that it was their child. He missed the details of everything else she was saying amidst the tumult that was storming through his brain.

"Ezra, she _is _a girl. She's alive and she's almost three and she looks an awful lot like me and acts an awful lot like you. She's beautiful and sweet and smart and everything we once hoped our children would be." Aria said, trying to reach for his hands but he retracted them immediately.

He stood up and started pacing. "You had our child and you didn't tell me? While she was taking her first steps I was sitting here grading papers! When she said her first word I was laying in bed missing you! When she first counted to ten I was eating dinner by myself in my apartment! I would have protected you, Aria."

Almost three years. Those words echoed in his mind. He had missed almost three years of his daughter's life. He wasn't there when she reached those milestones in her life that parents cherished. He wasn't there on her birthday to give her a present and feed her cake. He wasn't there to tuck her in every night and tell her how much he loved her.

It was like Malcolm all over again except this time it was legit. Aria wouldn't make this up like Maggie had. He had a daughter.

"I'm sorry," Aria apologized, her hazel eyes shining as they filled with tears.

Ezra shook his head, "Sorry doesn't cut it, Aria. Not this time."

Aria stood up and clenched her fists. "I almost lost you once, Ezra. That night on the roof when you fell and I held you as your eyes closed and as the blood poured from your wound was the scariest thing I've ever been through. Almost losing you was worse than almost dying, Ezra. I couldn't put you in danger again. I couldn't let A hurt you. If you died and it was on me, it would have killed me. I couldn't put you or myself through that again."

She took a few steps closer. "Me staying gone wasn't selfish but it was an act of cowardice. I was scared of losing you and I was scared of losing our child. The child that our love created. I thought of you and her in every decision that I made. Which would keep you safe? What can I do to get her to college? What if you never forgive me? How can I give her the best future possible? And I still do. I still consider the two of you every time I'm presented with a decision. This hasn't been easy for me, Ezra. I've had to raise her alone." A tear fell from her hazel eyes and leaked down her cheek.

Ezra stood still and watched as the angry woman came closer. He could tell that she was very emotional and passionate. He regretted yelling at her because she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any mean or spiteful thing done to her.

That didn't change the fact that it felt like his world had been flipped upside down, though.

The first of the tears fell onto his cheek. "I know you've had to raise her alone but I could have helped you. I could have been a part of her life."

Their eyes met and they stayed there for a while. Finally Aria wiped the moisture off of her cheeks with her hand and walked to the front door.

"You still can, Ezra. It's not too late," she said quietly. She turned the handle and pushed the door open. "I'm gonna go back to Spencer's. Both of us will be there and my cell phone's with me twenty-four seven. When you decide what you want, just tell me Ezra. I'm sorry."

She stepped out and slowly pulled the door shut behind her. Ezra watched her go and then realized that he hadn't asked her a pertinent question. He quickly opened the door and walked into the dim hallway. "Aria!" he called as she was just about to disappear around the corner.

She placed her hand on the wall and stepped back, absentmindedly playing with a lock of her long hair. "Yeah?"

"What's her name?" he asked quietly, shoving his hands into the deep pockets of his flannel pajama pants.

A small smile lifted the corner of Aria's mouth, "It's Sadie. Sadie May." She left him alone in the hallway as she quickly descended the stairs and escaped into the cool night air.

He stayed stationary for a moment, just staring after her. There were a lot of emotions going on in his mind but anger wasn't one of them. And neither was hatred. Sure he was shocked and a little overwhelmed, but he wasn't mad at her. He couldn't be mad at her.

Ezra turned and slowly walked back into his apartment, softly shutting the door behind him. He sat heavily onto the couch and stared at nothing on the wall, his mind replaying the dance and the story and the news and everything else that had transpired since her return. Surreal was definitely a word that came to mind.

He lay back on the cushion behind him and ran a hand through his dark hair. He had a daughter. A daughter who Aria had to care for by herself. A daughter who he had never met. A daughter who came as a result of their love.

He glanced towards the clock that was on the oven. It was already midnight which was when he normally was sound asleep in bed. But sleep was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. One fact kept repeating itself through his head:

He was a father.

* * *

Aria sat next to Emily and Spencer on the park bench. It was only 9:30 in the morning and the sky was completely void of clouds. Sadie was entertaining herself on the playground by repeatedly climbing up a ladder and going down a windy blue slide.

"So how did last night go?" Spencer asked. Her arms were folded across her chest and her legs were crossed in front of her. She looked like she was lost in thought because her brow was furrowed and her mouth slightly pursed.

Aria sighed. She had replayed the conversation over and over in her mind since it had happened. "He was shocked. And angry," she answered.

Emily took her gaze off of the two year old on the playground and looked at the young mother. "He'll come around. Just give it time."

Aria nodded. That's what everyone had been telling her but waiting was painstaking. When she had left his apartment the night before she had left the option open for him to come to her when he was ready. She told him where they would be and he already had her phone number. All that she could do at that point would be to give him space like he had done for her. But it was hard. So very hard.

"I know," Aria consented wearily.

Spencer still looked like she was visiting a different planet.

"What's going on with you, Spence?" Emily asked, leaning forward to look past Aria and at the Hastings.

She blinked a couple of times and her eyes focused on Emily's face. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Aria prodded.

"It's nothing. Really," Spencer was lying through her teeth and both Aria and Emily picked up on it. "Okay it's something but I don't want to talk about it. At least, not yet."

The other two nodded skeptically and all three returned to watching Sadie who somehow still had energy to pull her little body up that ladder and then run across to the slide and go down before starting over.

Aria closed her eyes for a minute and just listened to her surroundings. The sound of birds chirping came from the top of the tall trees. A dog was barking vigorously at something, most likely a squirrel or cat or something. The laughs and giggles of the other children on the playground and the small talk of their parents also filled the cool spring air.

Then amidst the other noises she heard a cry that she immediately recognized as Sadie's. Her eyes flew open and she quickly scanned the playground to find Sadie sitting on the ground at the bottom of ladder. Aria stood up and went over to her small daughter.

As she got closer she saw that there was blood under her chin. Tears fell down her cheeks and she stood once she saw Aria. Her little hand went and touched the wound, her fingers coming away red from the warm liquid. The sight scared Sadie who had never liked blood and a whimper escaped her mouth.

Aria quickened her pace and picked her up, careful to avoid her bloody hand which would stain her off-white shirt. The two returned to the bench to find that there were now three people standing there instead of two. Paige McCullers had joined them and was talking to Emily and Spencer. Aria didn't know she had been back.

"Umm, sorry to interrupt but do either of you have a tissue or something?" Aria said.

The three all turned to Aria who they hadn't heard approach. Paige was the first to come to her aid and she passed her a napkin that was on top of her Styrofoam to-go box.

Aria gratefully accepted the napkin and sat Sadie on the bench before crouching in front of her. "You wouldn't happen to have water would you?"

Paige looked over what she was holding and shook her head. "I don't. Sorry."

"I think I might have a water bottle in my bag if you want to check," Emily said, gesturing towards the blue drawstring with a fading Shark's logo on it.

Aria nodded and quickly opened the bag and rummaged through the contents. A few drops of blood had fallen onto Sadie's colored jeans and Aria set one of the napkins on her lap to prevent anymore of the liquid from staining more of the fabric.

At the bottom of the bag she felt a plastic water bottle and she pulled it out, fluidly unscrewing the lid and wetting the brown napkin. She set the bottle on the grass next to her and then went to work cleaning the wound.

She gently dabbed at the blood to try to see the source which caused Sadie to wince. "I'm sorry. This might hurt a little bit, sweetie. Can you try to hold still for me?" Sadie nodded and gripped the side of the bench tightly.

Once most of the blood was cleaned off Aria was finally able to see where the cut was. It was about an inch wide and not very deep right on her jaw line. It looked like her foot had slipped on a metal bar of the ladder and the bottom of her head had hit a bar as she fell.

Aria knew that head wounds bled a lot but this one seemed to be gushing with the red liquid. In a matter of minutes both of the napkins were going to be used to their capacity and she didn't have any band-aids on her at the moment.

The other three women just watched as Aria took care of her daughter's chin. Spencer noticed that she was almost out of napkin to use and she texted Wren and asked if he could bring over a band-aid and whatever else to clean it out.

"Wren's on his way over with stuff to clean it out, Aria," Spencer said.

Aria looked up for a second. "He doesn't have to leave work."

Spencer shook his head, "He's off of work today. He worked extra last week or something. He said he'd only be a few minutes."

Aria nodded and asked Sadie to hold the napkin so that she could stand up for a moment.

Paige watched the two with curious eyes. Aria hadn't been around for over three years and there she was with a little girl who had to be her daughter. "When did you come back, Aria?"

"A few weeks ago," Aria answered with a small smile.

"And she's your daughter?" Paige asked, raising one eyebrow.

Aria nodded, "That's Sadie."

Paige waved at the little girl who was looking at her with somber blue eyes that were still brimming with tears. Sadie didn't respond in anyway but Paige didn't seem offended.

"She's adorable," she commented.

"So when did you get back in town?" Aria asked, switching the subject from her life to Paige's.

"I came back from college yesterday. I'm visiting my parents for a few weeks and then I'm going back. I just got breakfast when I saw Emily and Spencer and came to say hi," Paige answered.

Aria glanced towards Emily who was watching Paige carefully. If she remembered correctly, Emily still had feelings for her but they had fallen out of touch. Those feelings were evident on Emily's face.

Spencer opened her mouth to say something but stopped when a British voice cut in. "Miss Montgomery, you have a little blood there, don't you?"

Sadie nodded. She knew Wren from the times he had visited Spencer and she didn't shirk back when he reached forward and gently took the blood-soaked napkin from her.

"Like mother, like daughter," Wren said, referencing Aria's cut in her thumb that he had had to wash the infection out of. "I think it would be a good idea if she gets stitches, Aria. This cut is a little deeper than it appears and a band-aid won't stick there. You can't exactly wrap it like we did your thumb."

"Do I need to take her to the doctor's?" Aria asked, looking worriedly at her daughter who still had tears leaking out of her eyes. Whenever Sadie cried Aria wanted to as well. She couldn't stand to see her in pain or discomfort and would gladly suffer any of it for her if that were an option, which it sadly wasn't.

Wren turned the napkin in a different way so that it would catch more of the blood and then looked up, "Yes. It will only take like an hour total."

"Will it hurt?" Aria crouched next to him and squeezed Sadie's hand.

The young doctor shook his head. "They numb the area beforehand so that they won't feel it. After they are done they might give you a little medicine to help keep it uninfected."

Aria nodded and quickly grabbed her shoes from their position under the bench where she had left them. "Spencer can you give us a ride?"

Spencer nodded immediately but Wren cut in. "I can take you. I can get you in and out pretty quickly and I can even do the stitches if no one else is available."

The concerned mother raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude on your morning."

Wren offered a cheeky smile and nodded, "I can handle intrusions if they are as cute as she is."

They all stood and Wren picked her up, not caring that some of the blood had dropped onto his old t-shirt. Aria grabbed Sadie's things and then started walking in the direction of Wren's car.

Before the Brit followed her he turned to Spencer who was smiling. He was so adorable whenever he was with children and her mind instantly went to what it would be like if they had kids. "Thank you, Wren. This means a lot," Spencer said quietly.

He nodded and kissed her cheek quickly, "Anytime." Then he thought about what that could mean. "Although, I don't recommend that you take me up on that offer. All of the blood and pain and what not."

The three women all smiled and Spencer rolled her eyes. He winked at her before joining Aria at his car. He handed her the keys since Sadie was already situated in his arms. She took them but just stared at them for a moment before realizing what he expected her to do with the keys.

She unlocked the car with the button and then slipped into the driver's seat. The interior of the Focus was much more lavish than the car that Spencer drove. The carpet looked like it had been freshly vacuumed and the leather seats had no scratches or stains. The dashboard and gages and buttons were all above Aria's basic knowledge and she looked at it all with wide eyes. "This is complex. How do you even work all of this?"

Wren chuckled, "You put the key in the ignition and then you turn it. The gas is on the right and the brake in the middle."

The small brunette rolled her eyes and did as he instructed. She shifted it into drive and then pressed the gas pedal. The car lurched forward at a frightening pace and Aria's foot went from the gas to the brake which caused the vehicle to come to an abrupt stop.

Wren held the back of Sadie's head so that she wouldn't fly into the dashboard. "The gas and brakes are touchy, Aria."

"I learned that. Can you just drive?" she begged, looking over at him.

He shook his head. "I have confidence in you. You can make it."

Aria sighed and turned back to the wheel. Her eyes flicked up to the rear-view window and she saw another car waiting behind her and only then did she realize that she was in the middle of the road. She took a breath and gently pressed the gas, this time at a much more controlled pace.

"Do you realize that you're going ten miles under the speed limit?" Wren asked after they had successfully gone a few blocks.

Aria glanced at the speedometer and realized that she was, like he said, going at ten minutes under the speed limit which was in and of itself slow. "This isn't as easy as it looks, okay?"

The British man nodded, "I can tell. It's not like I manage to do it every day without infuriating the driver behind me or anything."

Aria scoffed, "How exactly does Spencer put up with you?"

Wren smiled, "I'm not sure but I think it has something to do with the accent."

The hospital was finally in view and Aria somewhat smoothly pulled into a parking place. Wren instantly climbed out of the car with Sadie who had the back of his shirt clutched in her fist. He went instantly for the door without waiting for Aria to turn off his car and get the keys out.

She shook her head slightly. _Men._

The halls of the hospital weren't very crowded. It was still early in the morning and most nurses still looked half asleep. Aria walked briskly across the white tiles, scarcely managing to keep up with the Brit.

She stepped into a room where Wren had laid Sadie on the medical chair. He was rummaging through a drawer and pulling out a few various items such as gauze and some chemical and tweezers.

"So, Dr. Kingston, what do you need me to do?" Aria asked, going to the side of the bed.

He glanced up at her briefly before returning to his work. "Can you get her to tilt back her head so I can see the cut better? It's important that she holds still."

Aria did as instructed and asked Sadie to lean her head back further to which she shook her head. Aria understood that it probably hurt more to stretch it out but after a little coaxing she managed to get Sadie to comply.

Wren rotated in his swivel chair with a large needle in his hand. Sadie caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye and whimpered, trying to sit up. Aria pressed her forehead down against the cushioned chair. "It's okay, sweetie. It will only hurt for a second and then you won't be able to feel anything."

"If you could hold her hands that would be helpful." Wren said as he brought the needle closer to her neck. The sight scared Aria and she could only imagine how much Sadie hated the sight, but she did as was told. This was his area of work, not hers, and she simply listened because that was all she could do.

The two year old visibly tightened as the needle was inserted into her flesh. A small cry escaped her mouth and Aria brushed back her hair. "You're being so brave, Sadie. We just need you to hold still."

Wren pulled back and set the needle on a nearby tray. "We'll just give that a minute to kick in and then it will be numb and she won't feel a thing. I need to go grab something out of the supplies closet and then I'll be back. Just hang tight."

Aria nodded and continued holding Sadie's hand. "Are you okay?"

Sadie didn't respond. She just clenched her little eyes closed and stayed quiet.

Aria's ringtone interrupted them and she pulled it out of her pocket to find that Spencer was calling. She hit the answer button and brought the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Aria. How is she?"

"She's doing really well. I can tell that she's trying not to cry. She's acting so tough."

Spencer raised her eyebrows, "You do realize that she got that trait from you. I need to tell you something when you get a minute. In person. So just call me, please."

Aria agreed. "Will do. We shouldn't be long here."

The call was quickly ended and Wren re-entered the room. "So, would she like green or blue?"

* * *

_Waking up with her in his arms always brought a smile to his face. She claimed that she looked horrid in the mornings but that was his favorite way to see her. Her long hair would be pulled into a messy ponytail and the remnants of yesterday's makeup smeared at the corner of her eyes. Her face would be relaxed and calm as she slept peacefully._

_ That morning was even more perfect with a slight breeze coming in through the opened window and sunlight brightening the blue apartment. He stayed still, content to just watch her as she stirred slightly with whatever dreams that flitted through her mind. _

_ After a while her eyes finally drifted open and a soft smile touched her lips. "Have you been up for a while?" she asked with a slight yawn as she turned around so that she was facing him. _

_ He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "About an hour," he replied softly._

_ Her eyebrows went up slightly, her voice still groggy. "Why?"_

_ "Why not?" he answered with a shrug. He was used to waking up early, even on weekends. Most mornings he would go on a run or bike ride before coming back to his apartment and showering. Then he would tie his tie and button his vest and become Mr. Fitz. Even though it was a Saturday, he still enjoyed being up at somewhere around six o'clock. _

_ She shifted a little bit as she tried to adjust to the light. "You don't have anything today. Why don't you sleep in?"_

_ Ezra smiled and raised one eyebrow. "You know, one day you will be a mother and you will be up at the crack of dawn so that you can feed your child or get them to school. Sleeping in will become more of a luxury."_

_ Aria rolled her hazel eyes, "But that is still many years in the future. For now I'm going to stay right here and you are as well."_

_ "I am?" _

_ She nodded and nestled closer into his side. He gently stroked her arm and she closed her eyes in contentment. _

_ "What would their names be?" she asked after a moment of silence._

_ "What?"_

_ "Our children. What would their names be?"_

_ Ezra had thought multiple times about what their children would look and act like. He always imagined a little girl with her eyes and hair and smile and basically a mini her. He had never named his imaginary child though. "What are you thinking?"_

_ Aria pondered for a moment and then said, "I like Cody or Austin for a boy."_

_ Ezra nodded and smoothed the back of her hair. "And for a girl?"_

_ "I haven't decided. There's just so many," she answered, mentally scanning through a list of all of the girl names she had ever heard. She came across several cute ones but none of which seemed like them._

_ Ezra was doing similar and then he came across one that sort of fit. "What about Sadie?"_

_ "Sadie?" That was one name she hadn't really thought about but it did seem appropriate. "I like it."_

_ He was a little surprised that she had agreed so easily. _

_ "It seems to fit. And then her middle name could be like one of our grandparents," she said excitedly. Ezra could sense her enthusiasm and he loved it. The fact that she was thinking about _their_ future children, them, together, in many years to come, made his heart swell a little bit._

_ Aria thought through their family trees. "Sadie Rebecca? Sadie Jane? Sadie Dianne? Actually, sorry, but no on that one. And not Sadie Ella either." Most of her tiredness had dissipated as the happy prospect filled her mind. She tried a few others before she finally found it. "Sadie May."_

_ Ezra placed that name with his imaginary child and nodded. "It's perfect, Aria. Just like our child would be."_

_ "I like it too. After your grandmother." Aria had never actually met his Grandma May but he had told her quite a few stories about her. From what he said, she did a lot to shape him into who he was today, and Aria would be forever grateful to her for that even though she would never be able to thank her personally since she had passed on a few years ago. "Sadie May Fitzgerald. I love it."_

_ "I love it as well." Ezra smiled and kissed her lips softly. "And I love you."_

_ She looked up at him with happy hazel eyes, "I love you too."_

* * *

That memory played through Ezra's head as he lay in his bed. It was in that exact position about four and a half years ago that they had first discussed what their children would be like. It was there that they had come up with the name Sadie May, the name that Aria had kept regardless of the fact that she didn't think that he would ever see her.

Sadie May.

The name seemed just as right as it had all of those years ago. Even though he had never seen his daughter, he knew that nothing else would have fit. It was their name that they had chosen together and that now belonged to a little girl that they had created. It was theirs just like she was.

That thought still blew his mind.

He thought back to the beginning of their relationship. It had taken only one evening with Aria for him to develop feelings for her. It took one more meeting after that to realize that the love he felt for her was stronger than originally anticipated. It was that day that he also learned how illegal their relationship would be. Then another day later he realized how hard it would be to stay away from her. She was his magnet. Ignoring the attraction was impossible.

The nature and speed in which his feelings for her had developed was completely different than every other relationship he had been in. With Aria it had been immediate and irrevocable. He thought that he loved Maggie and Jackie but after a few days with Aria he realized that he knew what _love_ was, but he didn't know what it was like to be _in love._

Aria taught him that lesson. Love was attraction for the other and caring about their needs. Being in love was risking everything for the relationship and being completely selfless. She had taught him that true love was putting the other person's wants and needs above your own and he had definitely experienced that with her. Her happiness and safety mattered more to him than his own life and he had proven it that night on the roof. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her, and that statement was as true now as it had ever been.

That was what set her apart from every other girl he had dated. He had fallen in love with her. He knew within weeks that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was the one he wanted to see at the end of the aisle. She was the one he wanted to wake up next to every morning. She was the one that he wanted to be the mother of his children.

He just never imagined that she would be the mother of his daughter who he had never met or heard about until she was almost three years old.

But he had learned that life scarcely went the way you planned it to and rarely went the way you imagined it. That was why he was laying in bed at 10:00 in the morning staring at the ceiling and thinking about the daughter he didn't know he had. He certainly hadn't seen that coming when he planned out his future.

Someone knocked on the door and Ezra groaned. He hadn't a clue who it might be. It wasn't expecting any company. Mrs. Rosenthal was visiting her daughter in Colorado. It wouldn't be Aria. She had made it clear the night before that she would wait for him to come to her before anything else happened. She was giving him space.

He rolled off of his bed and walked to the door, surprised to find Alison standing there when he opened it. She was carrying two cups of orange juice and a package of muffins. "I figured that you wouldn't be out of bed yet," she chirped and walked past him without waiting to be invited.

Ezra turned with a befuddled expression, "What are you doing here, Alison?"

Alison set her purse on his couch and then put the food on the dining table. "I brought you breakfast. This is the part where you thank me. Have you forgotten your manners, Ezra?"

He blinked a couple of times. The last time Alison had been in his apartment was to return the manuscript of his book that Aria had let him borrow. They had talked a little on and off but they were by no means close. The intrigue he once felt towards her had dissipated a long time ago and that was all she had going for her where he was concerned.

"I am grateful, but I am still unsure as to why you're here," he said slowly.

Alison placed one hand on her hip, "Aria told me that she told you about Sadie last night. I knew that you'd take it hard so I'm here to make sure that you move on with your life." She searched through a couple of his drawers until she found a knife to open the plastic that covered the poppy seed muffins with.

"It's been less than twelve hours since she told me," he pointed out. Ezra knew Ali well enough to know that she didn't come here to help him cope with the news. She had a different motive that he was unaware of.

Ali pulled out a chair and sat down. "I know. She should have told you when she first got back. She's been keeping it from you for almost a month."

Ezra went over to the table and hesitantly sat across from her. "I'm not going to be mad at Aria about this, Alison. There's no reason for me to be."

The blonde peeled back the muffin liner and took a bite then washed it down with a sip of orange juice. "She saw you so many times and didn't tell you. Because of her you missed out on another month of your daughter's life. You weren't there to dance with her at the wedding last night. You haven't been there to take her to the park or to get ice cream. You aren't there with her while she's lying in a hospital bed getting stitches right now. And you could've been had Aria not waited so long to tell you. It was your right to know yet she was too scared."

Ezra's eyes widened. "Why is she at the hospital? Is she okay?" Even he was surprised by how concerned his voice sounded.

"She was at the park this morning and slipped and hit her chin on a bar. Wren took her and Aria to the hospital and now she's getting stitches," Ali answered dismissively. "She'll be out in a little bit so there's no use in going to see her."

Ezra had considered that as soon as Ali said she was hurt. But he did see the logic in not going. By the time he even pulled on a decent outfit she would already be checked out.

"You don't look like you're ready to go to New York for a week," Alison commented, looking around at his apartment.

Ezra was confused until he glanced at the calendar he had hanging on his fridge. He had completely spaced about that trip. Simone had scheduled him to go to New York to meet with a few people that were pretty high up in the literature department. If he impressed them it would look very good for his future career in both writing and English. Needless to say, he couldn't miss it.

"I'm not. I sort of forgot about that," Ezra admitted, turning his attention back to the DiLaurentis.

Alison smirked, "You'd better get packing."

Ezra nodded but then his mind instantly flashed to Aria. If he left for a week she might get the wrong impression and think that he didn't want Sadie in his life, which he did. His next thought was to call her but then he glanced at the desk and saw the overdue phone bill sitting on top of his laptop. His phone was currently not of any use.

"I don't know if I can leave Aria. She might take it the wrong way and my phone is currently out so I can't call and explain."

The wheels in Ali's mind began spinning. "I'll tell her, Ezra. I'm going to see her later today."

"It would probably be best if I explained myself."

She shook her head. "The only way you would be able to would be to visit or email her. It's a little soon to visit her after last night and she has over five hundred unopened emails. She wouldn't see it anytime in the near future."

Ezra thought about his options and then finally nodded. "Can you make sure that she knows that I have to go?"

"I'll tell her," Ali nodded. She stood up and grabbed her purse and orange juice. "I've got to get going. Have fun in New York!"

He thanked her and then she walked out, leaving him alone with five and a half poppy seed muffins.

* * *

"Sadie, remember Wren said not to touch them?" Aria asked gently. Ever since Wren had done the stitches she had been reaching up and touching them. She hadn't pulled them out but the numbness was still kind of there and it was confusing her.

"I know," she said glumly, placing her other hand on the opposite side of her head and leaning on it.

"Does she want something to eat? I could make pudding or pancakes or something else if she doesn't like casserole," Ashley Marin offered. Her last name wasn't Marin anymore but Aria didn't know what Ted's last name was and she still referred to her by her previous name.

Aria turned on the stool to face Hanna's mother. "She's really not a picky eater. Thank you though." The brunette turned to the table where the rest of her friends were seated.

Hanna was sitting at the table alongside Emily and Spencer who were all flipping through various baby clothes catalogs. They were all meeting at the Marin house for a late lunch courteous of Ashley. On Saturday Hanna had an appointment to find out the gender of her baby and her mother was over the moon about a grandchild. It had been too long since she held a baby and she missed it.

"Anytime. Lunch will be ready in about thirty minutes but if you want something before hand, feel free. Really, Aria. My pantry and fridge are at your disposal."

"Thank you," Aria said again.

A knock came from the door and Mrs. Marin excused herself to go and answer it. When she returned to the kitchen Alison was following her. She was wearing a jacket which Aria thought was weird considering the warmth of the day.

"Is it cold out there?" Spencer asked. Apparently she had noticed the jacket as well.

Alison nodded and stuck her hands in the pockets. "It's overcast and the temperature's starting to drop. It's probably going to start raining soon."

Aria stood up and went over to the window, gently pushing aside the blinds. Ali was right. The sky that had been blue that morning was now grey and ominous. It probably would rain soon.

She returned to the counter and sat down. Ali came and sat next to her. "How's Sadie doing?"

"She does not like the numbness and then she's not going to like the pain once the painkillers die off, but she's fine."

Ali nodded her understanding. "How did telling Ezra go?"

Aria sighed. She had already answered that question numerous times that day. Each time her answer had been the same. "He was shocked and surprised which no one can blame him for. It was a lot for him to take in but he'll come around. I think he really does want to be a part of her life."

Ali nodded and the two turned to listen to Hanna, Emily, and Spencer's conversation. Ashley had joined them at the table and the catalogs were passed around. Occasionally one would find something that she really liked and showed it to the rest of the table who would give their opinions. Even if they did find one that all of them thought was adorable, they couldn't really do anything about it since they didn't know whether the child was a girl or a boy.

Aria's phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to find an email from Peyton. Ali discreetly watched as she opened the only new message in her mailbox. Aria had never liked to have unopened notifications and if she had any more than ten it annoyed her. To have five-hundred would probably make her want to throw her phone against a wall.

"What's that about?" Alison asked.

The brunette quickly turned her phone off and tucked it into her pocket. The email had been concerning NYU but Alison didn't know that and neither did anybody else. Both Hunter and Peyton were still pressing her to accept it. Peyton's reasons were that it was a huge opportunity for her. Hunter's reasons were a little more selfish.

"Just an update on a new promotion my friend Peyton got," Aria fibbed.

Alison knew that that wasn't really what it was about but she nodded and pretended to believe her. Aria could keep her secrets because Alison had enough of her own. One of which was that she didn't actually plan to pass along anything about why Ezra would be gone.

The timer on the oven went off and Ashley Marin jumped up. "Who's ready for food?"

* * *

Ezra walked quickly up the sidewalk which was now slick with rain. The clouds had rolled in seemingly out of nowhere and now expanded all across the sky, blanketing Rosewood in a thick layer of rain. It was coming down harder and he wished he had parked closer to the grocery store instead of opting to walk there from The Brew where he had stopped earlier.

In the paper bag he was carrying was a bag of pretzels and a few candy bars to bring on the drive to New York that he had to make that night. His first meeting was at 9:00 in the morning and he figured that it would be better to get a hotel for the night than wake up really early the next morning.

He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the doors, anxious to be out of the insistent rain that had penetrated every item of clothing on his body. He was cold and wet and tired and so ready to be indoors and more preferably in a bed.

Ezra slid into the driver seat and set the grocery bag on the seat next to him. He pulled the door shut and started the car, instantly turning the heat on. He was about to pull out when he noticed the small child sitting on the curb about ten feet in front of him.

He could tell it was a girl by the long dark hair, and he determined that the kid couldn't be over four. Only a thin, black jacket protected her from the pouring rain and her little body was shaking as she shivered. No one else was out on the street. Ezra glanced at the clock and knew that the more time he spent in Rosewood, the later he'd get to New York. But he couldn't leave the girl there without finding a parent so he opened the door and once again stepped out into the drenching rain.

"Hey," he said softly. "Are you okay?"

The child looked up and Ezra knew who the girl was. There was no doubt of it. She looked too much like Aria to be anyone else's.

"Sadie?" he asked quietly. He suddenly became impervious to the rain and everything else that was going on as he took a few steps closer to Aria's daughter, to _his_ daughter.

She watched him with solemn eyes as he came and crouched in front of her. Sadie recognized him instantly and didn't know how to react. Her daddy was right within arm's length but she stayed still.

Ezra was at a loss for words as he looked at his daughter for the first time. The first thing that caught his attention were her large blue eyes that were slightly red. What appeared to be tears were rolling down her cheeks but it could also just be rain.

Her mouth and nose were mini versions of Aria's. Everything about her reminded him of the pictures he had seen of Aria as a child, the only difference being the color of her eyes. That was one thing that came from him.

Her hair looked almost black since it was soaking but he figured that it was the same chocolate brown as both of her parents. Under her chin he could see the stitches that Ali had mentioned that morning.

"Daddy," she whispered. There was no question in her voice.

He smiled slightly and nodded, his own vision was blurring as his eyes filled with tears. Ezra reached out and gently tucked her dripping hair behind her ear so that he could see her face clearer. He didn't know what to say but he had a feeling that he didn't need to say anything. She already knew who he was.

Sadie stood and was still slightly shorter than him even with the extra inches the sidewalk provided. She wasn't scared of him, not after the way she had seen him dance with her mom. She felt safe with him there. And although she knew that he had been gone her whole life, all that she cared about was that her daddy was there now. She threw her little arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Ezra was a little surprised by her move but that simple gesture made him happier than he had been in a long time, excluding the few moments he had spent with Aria. He wrapped his arms around her petite frame and stood up, still hugging her tightly. She laid her head on his shoulder and Ezra finally let the tears run down his cheeks.

Holding his daughter for the first time was a feeling like none other. The love that he felt for her was so different than the love he felt for Aria, but it was just as strong. He knew right then that he would spend the rest of his life trying to make her and her mother happy.

They stayed in that position for quite a while before Ezra looked up and saw that Aria was standing in the doorway watching them. Her hazel eyes were soft and tear filled as she looked at the tender scene before her. That was everything she had hoped it would be and it was evident in his eyes that he was happy.

He stepped onto the sidewalk and walked over to her. "I was about to leave when I saw her sitting all alone on the curb. She was drenched and shivering."

"I came here to give something to Emily for Zach. I had to go the bathroom and asked Emily to watch her but apparently she slipped out," Aria explained quickly, not wanting him to think that she was a negligent mother.

He shook his head, "You don't need to explain, Aria. It's okay."

She smiled slightly, not sure what else to do.

"Did you talk to Alison today?" he asked, absentmindedly playing with Sadie's wet hair. She was still lying on his shoulder and Aria figured that she might be asleep by the way her arms were limply wrapped around his neck.

Aria nodded. She wasn't sure how that was relevant to anything but she had talked to Alison. She walked around to where she could get a glimpse of her face and found that her suspicions were correct. That day had been long and tiresome for the both of them between her stitches and Hanna's lunch and taking care of things for her mom and step-dad. It came as no surprise that Sadie was passed out.

"She's asleep," she whispered.

Ezra figured as much. She hadn't moved in quite a while.

"Do you want me to take her?" Aria asked softly.

He looked down at the miracle in his arms. "Do I want you to? No. Should you? Yes. I've actually got to get going," he apologized.

Aria gently took her, careful not to wake her up. "She's been waiting for so long to meet you, Ezra. You made her so happy," Aria said, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek. "Thank you."

Ezra nodded, still unable to find words to describe his feelings. "I've got to go," he said weakly.

She nodded understandingly. "Thank you, Ezra."

He offered a quick smile and she watched as he made his way out of the door. A deep sense of contentment settled into her and she couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

That's exactly where Emily found her a few minutes later. She offered a slight smirk, "What did I tell you? It'll be okay. Sometimes I know what I'm talking about."

Aria nodded, the smile still on her face. "I guess you're right."

* * *

**There it is! I hope that it was worth being late. And like I said at the beginning. If you like this story, please pass it along. It it's subpar then tell me in a review. I love to hear from you guys. Thank you:)**


	13. Chapter 13

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

**So I've decided to not update this as often as I previously have been because who has time these days? I certainly don't. It takes many, many hours to write a single chapter and I don't know how some people manage more than one story at once. They amaze me (*cough cough* you know who you are.) Anyhow, I will still continue to write this story but it just won't be updated as often. Sorry:( But thank you for all of your support and reviews! On to chapter thirteen…**

* * *

Traffic. It was insane. All four lanes were filled with a variety of cars and trucks and vans each inching slowly forward. And inching was no exaggeration.

Ezra glanced at the clock and saw that it was 5:15 and then realized the stupidity of his actions. Leaving now meant that he was hitting the crowd of people leaving work on their way to the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia. If he had waited to eat at home he could have beaten the exodus of people. No wonder he had gone less than a mile in thirty minutes.

He laid his head back on the seat impatiently. He had spent the past two weeks meeting with various publishers and agents and journalists and he was beyond ready to be home. They had gone a whole week longer than they were supposed to and he was beat. Though he had spent much of his youth in large cities such as the one he had just left, Ezra had come to appreciate Rosewood, Pennsylvania.

The city where had spent his college years and most days since then was the perfect size. It was large enough to sustain a social life yet not too big. It had the necessities and that was all he needed. It also had a stylish 5'2" brunette and a little girl named Sadie who he had left behind for two weeks and was anxious to get back to. He had a daughter to get to know and an Aria to win back, neither of which could be done from New York or Philly.

Plus Rosewood didn't have traffic.

The black Prius in front of him started and he let off the brakes, his car slowly moving forward following the outpouring of cars as they made their way west. At this rate he would reach his apartment at 7:00 regardless of the fact that Rosewood was only about twenty miles from Philadelphia.

After about forty-five seconds of moving forward at a turtle's pace, the traffic once again stopped and Ezra groaned. He was so close, yet so far.

Sitting in his driver's seat did give him an opportunity to think though which he hadn't really had time to do since arriving in New York. Between Simone's ranting about him not having his phone and the meetings and dinners and interviews, he had no time to relax and process things. Some of the recent occurrences still sat at the back of his mind like not-digested food, among which was his happenstance meeting with Sadie.

He was still unsure as to why she had been out alone in the rain. When he first saw her he had had the impression that she might've been crying which the harsh weather element could do to a child. If she had to be outside, he could understand why she might but miserable, but she didn't. Inside of The Brew was warm and comfortable. The door was one that a small child could easily open. Why she didn't return to shelter was lost to him.

Then there was the expression that crossed her beautiful little face after their eyes met. In her blue eyes was recognition and thoughtfulness. It was obvious that she knew who he was. How? He wasn't sure. He hadn't seen her before, but, then again, he hadn't been looking. His mind instantly scanned over the times when he had been with/seen Aria and realized that she could have been there on the sidelines or just a little lower to the ground than his eyes ever wandered.

Ezra was almost willing to bet money that she had been at Ella's reception. It was probably also her that he had seen that day when he saw Aria hugging that blonde guy outside of Lucky Leon's. Had he paid a little more attention, he would have known sooner. That thought was intriguing in a way. What else did he miss by not knowing what to look for?

He shook his head a little bit. That was beside the point. Ezra followed his train of thought back to Sadie.

She knew who he was and she didn't seem scared of him. There was a trust in her doe eyes that he never wanted to betray. He wanted to see that whenever she looked at him regardless of how old she grew.

And then there was the hug…

As soon as she threw her little arms around his neck he knew that he would be forever wrapped around her finger, just like he was with Aria. Even though he didn't know the first thing about her, he did know that she would be one of the best things that happened to him. Just like Aria was.

In a sense, the first time he met Aria was a lot like the first time he met Sadie. Both times each girl had been sitting alone. Both times they captured his attention with one look. Both times he fell in love almost instantly. Both times he left knowing that there was a connection there. Like mother, like daughter. Both were impossible to resist.

Ezra still hadn't quite wrapped his around the fact that Aria was a mother. He pictured her as a pregnant senior in high school, a baby bump clearly showing beneath her leopard print shirt. He pictured her sitting on the bathroom floor puking into the toilet. He pictured her lying in a hospital bed, convulsing with the pain of childbirth. He pictured the tender look in her hazel eyes as she held their daughter for the first time.

He wished he could have been there.

Those were all things he thought that he would be a part of. He thought that he would be there to see as her stomach grew as the baby did. He imagined himself there holding her hair out of her face and rubbing her back on those days when nothing seemed to agree with her. He thought he would be there squeezing her hand as she lay in a hospital bed. He had always imagined that he would be the second to hold the newborn, to look down into the eyes of the child that they had created.

Though none of those things had happened, he still loved Sadie and he still loved Aria. Living in the past would only make him miss the future. What was important was that he knew and he could be a part of the rest of his daughter's life and maybe a part of the rest of Aria's life.

The car in front of him pulled ahead and he did as well, by that time practically having every surrounding car and their license plates memorized. If he rearranged the letters on the raised white truck behind him you could spell the word pigeon. The minivan to his right was from Mississippi and was obviously a Duck Dynasty fan judging by the happy happy happy bumper sticker. The suburban in the lane to his left and up a few cars had a hanging TV and the passengers in the back were watching some show with a yellow square who apparently lived in a pineapple and which made him a little concerned about the upcoming generation. He could go on and practically tell the life stories of his traffic neighbors by observing them and looking over the exterior of their cars.

While he had been sitting in pretty much the same position, the sun had made noticeable progress in its daily trek across the darkening sky. It was now sinking into the west horizon in the exact direction that he was headed. Soon it would be low enough that his sun visor wouldn't block it and it would be shining directly into his eyes. How convenient.

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a second. In a matter of hours he would be home where the most important things in his life were. He just had to somehow survive another couple of miles of the infernal traffic.

* * *

"Where's Aria?" Hanna asked Spencer who was sitting across the table from her. They had made plans for dinner at the Rosewood Grille but one of the spots was still empty, the plate and glass untouched and the chair neatly tucked in.

Spencer looked up from her salad that she had spent more time pushing around than eating. "She's in her room. She's been there all day."

Emily set her lemonade down and raised one eyebrow. "She seemed fine a couple of days ago when we went shopping for Hanna. Is she sick?"

Ali scoffed, "Sick with a disease called I lied to Ezra for a long time and now he hasn't talked to me for two weeks and he needs to forgive me."

All three of the girls glared at her. "That was totally uncalled for, Ali. You know why Aria acted the way that she did," Spencer reprimanded. Her relationship with Ali had never been that strong but it was especially thin at the moment. Spencer had always been very observant and what she was seeing didn't impress her, not where Ali was concerned.

Emily brushed it off as she often did with Ali's sarcastic remarks. "He hasn't contacted her for two weeks?"

Spencer shook her head, still annoyed at Alison but turning her attention to Emily. "For a few days she just shrugged it off. She didn't want to pressure him. Then she started getting worried and called him but his phone went straight to voicemail. She's really confused because apparently Ezra saw Sadie and she thought that he would want to be a part of her life. Now she thinks that he wants nothing to do with either of them."

Hanna stopped on her fries long enough to ask a question. "How could he see Sadie and not want to squeeze her to death?"

"I never actually saw the interaction but I saw Aria afterwards and she looked really happy. It doesn't seem like Fitz would just disappear and if he did he would have told her something rather than just going AWOL," Emily said, genuinely concerned for the well-being of Aria.

Spencer nodded. "It is totally uncharacteristic of him which is why I think there was a miscommunication somewhere." Her voice was suggestive and she glanced at Ali who seemed uninterested in the entire conversation.

"Why are you looking at me? You think I know something and I didn't tell Aria?" she asked accusingly.

That was actually exactly what Spencer thought. She had seen the way that she had interacted with him at the wedding and then had seen her walking out of Ezra's apartment complex the morning after Aria told him. Spencer noticed the way she looked at him and it wasn't platonic. The way that she bristled and got defensive when she looked at her was enough to suggest that she was hiding something.

"No, no. You just seem to know him a little better than the rest of us. What do you think?" Spencer assured with an innocent expression on her face.

Ali let some of the tenseness in her body relax. "Ezra's probably beating himself up over it, and he's probably not very happy with Aria. Maybe it's good that he's gone so that he doesn't accidentally say something that could seriously hurt Aria."

Emily nodded, "I guess that would make sense. He always has been very cautious about hurting her."

Hanna threw a burnt fry dramatically onto her plate. "Well if he hurts Aria, I will hurt him. Where it hurts."

Ali chuckled, "I'm sure you would Hanna." The pregnant woman was in a mood that if you so much as crossed her, she would slap you across the face and have no reservations about it.

"You know, I've actually got to go. Caleb will probably be getting home soon and wanting dinner." Hanna stood and grabbed her jacket off of the back of her chair, throwing a ten onto the table as she did so. "That will cover my meal. Keep the change."

Spencer raised her eyebrows, "You never cook dinner. Caleb always does."

The blonde tossed her shoulder. "Yeah, well, people change."

None of them saw any point in arguing to they watched as she left, each knowing that Hanna had no intention to fix dinner for her husband.

"You know, I almost feel bad," Ali said with a small smile.

"Why?" Spencer asked.

"Because I have a feeling that a certain English teacher will be receiving a pregnant visitor. And that might not end well."

* * *

Ezra walked wearily up the stairs to his apartment. As if the traffic hadn't been enough, he had gotten a flat tire in between Rosewood and Philly and he didn't have a spare. He had to wait almost two hours while an Auto Repair shop fixed it. The amount it totaled up to could buy four new tires at any other place but he had no other alternative. Consequently he got home at 8:00.

He pulled a suitcase behind him and had one of his teaching bags slung over his shoulder. His jacket was on despite the fact that it was a warm night. He still had some work papers on the passenger seat of his car but those could wait until the next day. Going up and down the stairs again would be too much effort.

He set the handle to his suitcase down long enough to insert the key into its slot and turn it. The handle wouldn't turn which meant that he had locked it which meant that it had been unlocked. Frankly, Ezra wasn't surprised. His mind had been so preoccupied when he left two weeks previously that he probably forgot to lock it.

The first thing he noticed when he finally did get the door open was that the light was on which didn't make any sense. Turning off the lights was a habit that required absolutely no thought. He never left them on. And if he had, they would have burned out.

Then he noticed the blonde sitting on his couch flipping through a magazine.

She looked up, "You know, you should really subscribe to something that doesn't put you to sleep."

He looked at the cover of his Travel Magazine. "Hanna, what are you doing here?"

"I'm reading, duh," she rolled her eyes, turning another page and looking at the pictures of the rainforests in Rio de Janeiro. "Have you ever been to South America? I hear they have a lot of bugs."

Ezra shut the door behind him and set his keys and bag on the table. "No, I haven't been there and yes, it has a lot of bugs. Most places do," he answered. "And I know you didn't come to my apartment to read. You never read, Hanna. All of your assignments you turned in were based off of the movies."

She smiled, "I read that one book."

Her former English teacher nodded, "Yeah, when I gave you an assignment to read any book and do an evaluation for it and you read _The Cat in the Hat."_

"It had pages, it had words, it had an author. It was a book," Hanna shrugged. She brought the magazine closer to her face so she could see the large spider more clearly. It looked like it would jump right off of the page at her and she shuddered before snapping it shut and setting the magazine back on the counter.

"Why are you here?" he asked again, letting the other topic drop because there was no reasoning with her. That was one thing he had learned very clearly whilst he was her teacher.

"Because I just went and saw Aria and she looks like a homeless person. And Aria never looks like a homeless person," Hanna said, playing with the sleeve of her hoodie. The past few days she had been cold all of the time and never left the house without a jacket or a sweater.

Ezra set everything else down and went to sit across from her in his orange stuffed chair. "Is she okay?"

Hanna looked at him as if he were daft. "I shouldn't have to explain this to you. Why wouldn't she be upset?"

Though the blonde was normally the confused one, this time it was his turn. He had no idea what she was talking about. "Hanna, I've been in New York for the past weeks and didn't have my phone with me. I have no clue what's wrong."

"Oh yeah, I saw that your cell phone was on your desk next to some pretty big bills. Good thing you are going to get lots of money once your book hits the stands."

He closed his eyes in exasperation. Of course she had gone through his papers. "That's beside the point."

She shrugged, "You're the one who brought it up."

"Is Aria okay?" he asked, relying heavily upon the patience that got him through long days of teaching cocky high-schoolers who only cared about the weekend.

Hanna looked around at the tiny space, lost in her own thoughts. The place was about as big as her living room and she wasn't sure how he managed to survive with such little breathing room. She also wasn't sure why Aria loved the place so much. It was a little cluttered and filled with so many books that it could be a library. But, then again, Aria probably didn't care about the place as long as she wasn't the only one in it.

Her eyes wandered to the kitchen, passing those of Ezra's along the way to find that he was watching her expectantly. "I'm sorry, did you ask something?"

"Is Aria okay?" he asked for the third time.

She knit her eyebrows. "She says that she is."

"But you don't believe her," he said. It wasn't a question.

Hanna shook her head, "No, I don't believe her. Aria tends to shut us out sometimes and she's doing that again. She pushes us away when she's struggling and I hate it, we all hate it. We want to help, but she doesn't want to accept it. She's too independent and strong-willed for her own good."

Ezra couldn't disagree with that. He had experienced it himself on numerous occasions and being shut out by her was like living in Antarctica. It was cold and lonely and a miserable place to be in.

"So you need to forgive her and work things out. You need to be the father Sadie's always wanted. And you need to figure out what you want so she's not left in the dark all of the time. It's not fair for her or us," Hanna said with authority in her voice.  
The young English teacher nodded, "I agree and I plan to do all of those things."

Hanna stood up and gave a quick nod of her head. "Good. She still cares about you more than she'd ever admit."

He offered a small smiled and she spun in the direction of the door. Just as she was about to leave, Ezra stopped her. "Hanna, how did you get in?"

She didn't turn around to face him. "I used the key that's under your welcome mat."

He raised an eyebrow, "How did you know that it was there?"

"I found it last time I came here," she answered simply.

He couldn't remember the last time she was there. In fact, he couldn't remember her ever being there. "Which was when?"

She looked over her shoulder, "A few days ago. I borrowed your bathroom." The blonde left before he could respond.

He sat staring in the direction his former student had gone. She had been in his apartment without him knowing. She had borrowed his bathroom. She knew where he kept his key. That was a whole new level of strange.

* * *

Aria lay on her back staring up at the ceiling. It was around the time that she normally woke up, but that couldn't be said about this particular morning. You can't exactly wake up when you never went to sleep.

She had tried for hours to fall asleep, tried to temporarily escape the worries that had been her constant companions for the past few days. Ezra had been gone for almost two weeks leaving no word, no calls, no texts. He had seemingly vanished.

That was exactly what she had been most scared about prior to telling him. She had been scared that he would be mad and not want any part in her life, in Sadie's life. That kind of rejection from him was what haunted her in nightmares. Now those nightmares were reality.

Why else would he not leave any word unless he didn't care about what she felt? In her past experience with him, he always gave her a heads up no matter how mad he was at her. The fact that he hadn't really concerned her.

When she looked out of The Brew's window and saw him crouched in front of Sadie it was enough to fill her whole heart with love and contentment. He had looked at their daughter with an expression full of wonder and softness. It was an expression that she had only seen a few times before on his face, each time directed at her. It was the look he had given her the first time she told him that she loved him. It was the look he had given her that night when he lost his job at Hollis. It was the look that he had given her when she showed up at his door to check on him even after everything that had happened with the book.

The fact that he had given Sadie that look was what made everything so confusing.

Did he want to be a part of her life? The way he held her would suggest yes but then disappearing for a week suggested no. Was he still angry at her? Their conversation at The Brew made her think that he would get over it but then not answering her calls made her think that he wanted nothing to do with her.

Aria was at a loss of what to think or say or do. Lying in bed all day seemed like a good idea but the little girl sleeping peacefully next to her made that alternative impossible. She had to be there for Sadie.

She pushed back the covers and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and stepping onto the carpet. She grabbed a blanket from the back of a chair and wrapped it around her small body.

Normally she wasn't cold in the mornings, but she was so mentally tired that it was taking a physical toll on her. Under her eyes were bags that made her look like she was forty rather than in her early twenties. Her hair hadn't been brushed in a few days and it was thrown into a sloppy ponytail on top of her head. Her clothes consisted of grey sweats and a black shirt that didn't go together at all.

Aria walked to the window and leaned onto the windowsill where she caught herself doing something that she never thought she would do.

She was staring longingly at the road that would lead her to New York.

"You know cold showers can help with depression," Spencer said.

Aria jumped slightly and turned around to see the preppy brunette already dressed and ready for the day. Her hair was in a loose French braid that fell only a few inches below her shoulders and her black pencil skirt hugged her waist tightly, extenuating the curves of her body.

"I'm not depressed," Aria replied with a glare.

Spencer nodded, "Yeah you are. I know that things aren't great for you right now, but you're so much stronger than you're acting. You've been through worse. Don't let him have that much control over you."

Aria considered what her life-time best friend had just said. She had been through worse, among which was the three years without him at all. "I know."

The taller brunette checked her wristwatch. "I've got to go to breakfast with my mom but I'll be back in like two hours and I expect you to be showered and wearing some insanely wild colors or something. Deal?"

"I'll think about it," Aria smiled weakly.

Spencer nodded sharply and then left, leaving Aria alone with a sleeping Sadie.

They had gone to bed later than normal last night because Aria had allowed herself into being coerced to watch another movie by the two year old. That meant that she was probably going to remain asleep for at least another thirty minutes.

She took a deep breath and walked to the closet, picking out a pair of light-colored skinny jeans and a grey graphic tee. Once she got out of the shower she would accent the outfit with a brightly colored scarf and some bracelets to please Spencer.

She wouldn't be weak. She couldn't be weak. Both for her sake and for Sadie's.

Aria went over and kissed the toddler on the forehead softly then walked down the hall a little ways to the bathroom where she stripped of her clothes and stepped into the shower with the water as cold as she could possibly stand it.

* * *

Emily knocked on Spencer's door once, then twice, then three times. There was no answer, no sign of anyone coming to answer the door. She tried the handle to find it unlocked and she let herself in.

The whole downstairs was empty, no lights, no people, no anything. The only indication that anyone was in the house was the soft music that was drifting down the stairs from Aria's second level room.

Emily stepped in and shut the door behind her before walking up the stairs.

The last time she had seen Aria was a few days ago when they were shopping for Hanna's baby whom they found out was a boy. At that point she seemed fine, but from the accounts she received from both Spencer and Hanna, she wasn't doing so well.

Emily turned right at the top of the stairs and pushed on Aria's door which was slightly ajar. Though the small brunette was nowhere to be seen, the smaller brunette was.

"Where's your mom, Sadie?"

The two year old looked up from the book she was looking through and pointed out of the door towards the bathroom but didn't say anything.

Emily nodded her thanks, not sure if the young girl would actually get what she meant by that but shrugging it off. She looked around the room and a few things caught her eye.

First was the large suitcase that lay open on the bed next to Sadie. Next were the clothes strewn across the floor and the bed and some folded neatly like they were being packed. After that her eyes fell on a crumpled paper sitting on a nightstand.

She narrowed her eyes and walked over closer. She picked the paper up and then quickly scanned over the contents.

"Emily? How long have you been here?" Aria asked from the doorway. She saw the paper Emily was looking at but knew that it would do no good to try to explain. She already knew.

"You're going back to New York?" Emily's mind was reeling. The letter was dated a few weeks back and Aria hadn't mentioned it once.

Aria bit her lip and looked down. While in her frigid shower she had given more thought to what Spencer had said earlier that morning. She was strong. She had to be. But Aria knew she wasn't strong enough to witness his rejection. Putting distance between them and not knowing what was going on in his life what manageable; she had done it for three years. It would be easier to explain to Sadie that way. It would be easier for Aria to pretend like she hadn't potentially screwed up his life again.

"Aria, look at me," Emily demanded. "You're running away? You just got here. We, your friends, your family, everyone else, just got you back. You can't leave again!"

The short brunette leaned against the doorframe. "I can't be here. Not with him," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she made no move to wipe it away.

The raw pain that Emily heard in her miniature friend was enough to pull at her heart strings. Seeing Aria like that made her want to cry but she didn't. One of them needed to stay sane and it wasn't Aria at the moment. "You don't know the whole story, Aria. You should wait. Mr. Fitz couldn't not care, not where you're involved."

Aria wanted to believe the comforting words her friends offered, the ones that ended with them as a happy family, but she couldn't. Those fantasies weren't rational. "He hasn't called in over two weeks. I think that that is evidence enough that he doesn't care."

Emily shook her head. "No, there is some form of miscommunication going on. Mr. Fitz wouldn't leave you like this."

"But he did. Emily, believe me. I've thought of every possibility. Every reason that would justify his actions. And I've come up short every time," she said, using elaborate hand gestures as she talked which she only did when she was really agitated.

Emily's eyes went back to the NYU acceptance letter in her hand. She knew it was a huge opportunity for her. She understood the pain Aria would be in if, indeed, she was no longer Mr. Fitz' teacher's pet. But she also knew him well enough to know that there had to be an alternative that Aria didn't think of. This wasn't like him.

When Emily didn't reply, Aria stepped into the room and once again began throwing things from her closet out onto the floor or the bed or wherever it landed.

"Aria, don't you think you're acting a little hastily? I think you should just give it another week."

A fire had entered Aria's hazel eyes and she nodded sharply, "That may be what you think, but I've made my decision. We're going back to New York."

Emily saw that there was going to be no arguing with her. She had a steely determination and no one had ever been able to reason with that. No one but Ezra.

Aria went about her packing as if Emily were no longer standing there and Emily simply watched, considering her options.

Aria and Sadie couldn't leave. That was one thing that she did know. And she could think of only one way to keep her there.

Emily set the paper down on the nightstand. "I'm going to go. Aria, I think you're making a mistake."

The small brunette stopped long enough to glare at her. "I think that this is my decision and I'm capable of making it myself."

Emily nodded and raised her eyebrows. It was like the days after she found out about the book all over again. She went from being hurt to being angry to being defensive to being broken in the blink of an eye. She just shrugged it off and left the room, quickly making her way out to her car.

She slid into the driver's seat, prepared to commence operation keep Aria from leaving Rosewood.

* * *

Ezra folded the last of his shirts that had been hurriedly shoved into his suitcase and slipped it into the drawer. He slid the drawer shut and it closed with a slight thud, signaling that he was officially back home.

He zipped his suitcase up and returned it to its position before sitting down at his desk where the pile of bills had gotten noticeably bigger. It wasn't that he didn't have the money to pay them, it was just that he hadn't sat down and taken care of them for a while. He needed to do that now so that his phone would once again work and he wouldn't be kicked out of his apartment.

Ezra reached out and grabbed his calculator. This was always his least favorite part of living alone. Numbers and math had never really been his thing. It was times like these when he wished that he had spent more of his time in math class actually listening instead of writing poems in the back of his notebook.

And it was even more inconvenient this time because normally he paid bills via his phone but his phone service didn't work.

He sighed and began sorting the papers and envelopes into which needed to be paid first and which could wait a little longer.

Ezra began tapping his pen while reading over the statement, his eyes quickly scanning the lines.

He had only gotten three out of eleven successfully paid before he heard his door swing open.

Ezra quickly pushed back the wooden chair he was sitting in and turned to face his unannounced visitor.

"Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry Mr. Fitz. I don't know what I was thinking," Emily said with wide brown eyes, still shocked that she had walked in on him. She had originally intended to knock but she had been so lost in thought that she had forgotten that part of her plan.

He stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, let's just both be grateful that I am fully clothed."

Her cheeks colored with embarrassment. That potentially could have gone really bad. "I'm so sorry. Really I am. I didn't mean to walk in like that," she apologized again, her sentences coming out in more of stutters.

He nodded, still a little shocked. The only person that ever walked in without introduction was Aria back when they were together. "You might not have meant to just walk in, but you obviously did mean to come here. Do you need something?"

Emily finally let her eyebrows return to their usual position rather than their elevated place on her forehead. "I need to talk to you."

Ezra was still very confused but he gestured towards the couch. "Please, take a seat."

She did as offered and went to sit on the leather couch placing her elbows on her knees and waiting for him to join her.

He realized that he was just awkwardly standing there and quickly went over to sit in the orange sofa that he had sat in the night before when Hanna had visited him. He decided that he really needed to either hide the key better or move. So many of his former English students had been showing up at his door that people were going to start to wonder.

"Aria's not okay, Ezra," she began, not sure where else to start.

His eyes instantly became filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

"You haven't contacted her for two weeks. You didn't tell her where you were going. You didn't call her. You didn't email her. You just disappeared out of her life. And you better have a very good excuse because if not Hanna's threatened to hurt you where it hurts."

His expression, though still filled with worry for Aria, changed to surprise. Emily had said that last line with a completely serious expression making him a little concerned for himself as well. "I was in New York for work purposes. Did Alison not tell you?"

Emily was now the surprised one. "What does Alison have to do with anything?"

Ezra's mind was sent spinning as a dozen different possible possibilities crossed through his head. Maybe Alison hadn't been true to her word. "Did Ali not tell Aria?"

Emily wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Ali tell Aria what?"

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Things were actually starting to make sense. Why Hanna showed up. Why Emily showed up. Why Aria was 'not okay'. "Alison came by my apartment the morning after Aria told me about Sadie and reminded me of my meeting in New York which I had to leave for that night. I wanted to tell Aria that I was leaving but I had to pack and a few things and I couldn't call her because I haven't paid my phone bill. Ali said that she would tell her and convey my apologies."

For some reason, Emily wasn't blown away by this news. It was exactly like Alison to do something like this, most likely out of jealousy. "No, she never told Aria that. Aria has basically been tearing herself apart trying to figure out what your leaving meant."

Ezra bit his lip as he thought about everything that had resulted from his trusting Ali again. "What did she decide?"

"That you want nothing to do with Sadie and that you want nothing to do with her," Emily answered.

He leaned back against the cushion behind him and closed his eyes for a second. "That couldn't be further from the truth," he assured Emily even though the person who really needed to be told that was Aria. "I need to go see her this afternoon."

Emily shook her head. "You need to go see her now."

Mr. Fitz looked over at his desk where the papers were still sprawled out across every available space. "I have to finish paying some bills this morning."

"But those will still be here tomorrow. Aria might not be."

His eyebrows rose and he sat up straight once again. "What do you mean?"

Emily wrung her hands, obviously worried just like he was. "She's packing to go back to New York."

A wave of surprise crossed his face and then he instantly shot up. In twenty seconds he had grabbed his keys and was out of the door leaving Emily to stare after him.

"Yeah, okay, I'll just chill here. You're welcome for telling you and goodbye to you too," she muttered sarcastically.

* * *

Ezra pulled into Spencer Hastings' driveway, quickly shutting off his car and stepping out into the warm early-afternoon air.

He walked through the iron gate the barred the entrance to the sidewalk and instantly saw Sadie who was sitting on the front step looking at him with her intelligent blue eyes.

Once again he was struck with how beautiful she was, struck with how much she looked like Aria.

And she was outside again. All by herself. Sitting on a cement step. He really had no clue.

She studied him as he got closer, her face remaining expressionless. Once he was only about five feet in front of her she stood up. "You made mommy cry," she said almost accusingly.

He crouched down in front of her as he had done the first time he saw her. "I did and I'm sorry."

Sadie contemplated that for a moment then nodded, seeming to accept his apology.

Ezra reached out and tilted her head back slightly. "You got your stitches out."

Sadie touched the once hurt area, her hand brushing Ezra's as she did so and nodded.

The fact that he was in front of his daughter still amazed him. After Aria left he never imagined that he would hold the title of 'daddy' but now he did and he still hadn't quite wrapped his head around that.

"I'm going to go talk to your mom. Do you want to come inside?"

She thought about it for a moment before reaching out with two hands which even Ezra knew meant that she wanted to be held. He gladly complied, scooping her up and bringing her close to him, loving the feel of her little hand on his shoulder.

He walked up the steps and knocked on the door. A few minutes later it swung open and Spencer was revealed standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Fitz, hello."

He gave a quick inclination with his head, "Hi. Is Aria here?"

Spencer narrowed her eyes. "Yes she's here."

"May I come in?"

The brunette looked at him with a thoughtful expression. "Yes, but there are conditions."

Ezra had a general idea about what the 'conditions' would consist of but he asked anyways.

"I talked to both Hanna and Emily and they both told me your story. I believe them. You should know though that if you hurt her I will kill you," Spencer said, her face completely serious.

"That's not the first threat I've received from one of your group," he assured her as he stepped past her into the hallway. "And I have no intention of hurting her."

Spencer just nodded. "Her room is up the stairs and to the right. Do you want me to take Sadie?"

Ezra looked down at the little girl in his arms. He was learning quickly that she didn't talk much. "That would probably be best."

Spencer reached for Sadie who ignored her hands and looked up at Ezra. "Where are you going?"

He smiled slightly. "I'm going to go talk to your mom but I'll be back in a little bit okay?"

Sadie nodded and then went to Spencer who swung her onto her hip.

Ezra took a breath and walked up the stairs, following Spencer's instructions and turning right when he reached the top.

The door to her room was half open and through it he could only see part of a bed and a little table next to it that was currently holding her phone and a child's book. On the floor he could see parts of clothing that was probably strewn across the whole room. When Aria was mad, things went flying.

With that thought his mind instantly went back to his apartment. Walking in after just arriving back from New York was a little overwhelming. All of his research was on the ground amidst shards of glass and upturned tables. It literally looked like his apartment had been through a tornado and then a hurricane.

He didn't have to wonder who was responsible. A few things gave it away like how some of the files were opened to things he had written about her. The glass guarding the picture frame with their picture was shattered and the picture lay in a cracked mess on the floor. The higher things hadn't been touched which in and of itself was enough to let him know that it had been her.

Ezra had felt a little surprised but not angry. After what he had done, she should've burned the whole place down.

The scene he found when he got to the room was similar although much less broken.

Aria didn't notice him as he walked in, or if she did she gave no note to it. He watched her for a second as she found something on the floor and then folded it which really did no good because she would then throw it angrily into the suitcase which undid her efforts.

"What are you doing?" he asked after a moment.

The short brunette glanced at him for a split second but didn't slow her work.

"Aria. Where are you going?" Ezra tried again to which she blatantly ignored. He sighed and walked towards her, his hands quickly grabbing hers and stopping her from adding more items to the suitcase.

Aria looked down at his hands that had always fit so perfectly in hers. She didn't know how to feel or what to say or what to think.

"Aria, look at me, please," Ezra pleaded softly.

When she did so her hazel eyes were brimming with tears that were threatening to fall down her flawless face. He used his thumb to wipe the tear that had slipped out from the corner of her eye.

"You promised me you wouldn't leave me again, remember?" he asked, his eyes soft and his voice raw with emotion.

Her bottom lip quivered slightly and her eyes filled with a fierce determination. "You left me, though. For two weeks. With no word."

She tried to pull back her hands but he wouldn't relinquish his hold on them. It agitated her but Ezra wasn't about to let her go. Not again.

"I left word with Alison. It just never got to you."

Her eyes narrowed, "Where were you?" she finally whispered.

"New York. I had some work things that I had to take care of. I was only supposed to be gone for a week but Simone scheduled more meetings that I was unaware of," he answered honestly.

"Why didn't you call?"

He looked down at their hands and replied somewhat sheepishly, "I forgot to pay my bills. The telephone company shut my phone off."

The tiniest hint of hope entered her eyes. She still didn't know what to say or do and the tears were still leaking down her face.

Ezra's eyes softened. Seeing her like this, vulnerable and emotional, was something that he had always loved because it was a side of her that only he saw. To everyone else she put up a front but to him she could and would open up. That had always made him so happy.

"Aria, I know that there was some miscommunication between us and I'm sorry, but you need to know that without you in my life, I have nothing. I will always want you, no matter what. And I do want to be a part in Sadie's life as well. I want to be the dad that she's dreamed of. I want the opportunity to see her grow and become more and more like her beautiful mother. I want nothing more than to have you both in my life," he said, his voice low and soft.

Aria closed her eyes and let his words permeate her skin, sinking through to her heart where they stayed.

"Please don't leave, Aria. I couldn't take it if you did," he begged.

"But-" she began but Ezra cut her off quickly by placing his fingers against her mouth.

"No buts, Aria," he said solemnly.

She bit her lip then blurted out. "I got accepted into NYU."

He raised his eyebrows, "You did?"

Aria nodded, "And a scholarship."

"Is that what you want?" he asked after a moment. That was a huge opportunity for her and something she had always dreamed about. But her accepting it meant that he would lose her again.

She shook her head slightly and looked down at the acceptance letter that was now on her bed. "I used to dream about it, but dreams change I guess," she said quietly.

He brushed a strand of slightly damp hair back behind her hair leaving his hand on the side of her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "What's your new dream?"

Aria looked up at him, her eyes vulnerable. "Sadie. You. Us."

Ezra's eyes softened. "I like that dream." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close to him, one hand gently rubbing her back as he kissed the top of her head.

His eyes caught sight of movement at the door and he looked to see Sadie standing there watching them. He waved her over and she walked up to them, carefully maneuvering around the clothing items on the floor.

Ezra let go of Aria long enough to pick her up and then once again snaked his arm across her waist.

Sadie looked at him with content eyes. "You made mommy smile."

He looked over at Aria to find that Sadie was right. Aria was smiling and so was he. Life was temporarily put on hold as Ezra looked back and forth between the two beautiful girls that he had the privilege of calling his. "Yes, I did."

* * *

**Ezra's met with all of the girls now and Sadie and Aria and Ezra are all together:) Again, sorry about the wait and I hoped you liked this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

_"I did, didn't I?" _

Sadie nodded happily and laid her head on his shoulder, perfectly content to stay exactly where she was.

Ezra looked down at her with soft eyes, his lips slightly parted. "I can't believe that I've missed out on almost three years of this," he said quietly, more to himself than to anyone else.

Aria bit her lip and wrinkled her eyebrows. Even though he might not be mad, he did still miss almost three years of his daughter's life. Nothing could change that. Time machines were works of fiction and always would be that way. Ezra could never be a part of those years.

"I'm so sorry, Ezra," she said, her face clearly showing that she meant what she said.

He shifted his gaze to her but her eyes were staring holes in the floor. Ezra gently tilted her head so that she was forced to look at him. "You don't need to apologize, Aria. I'm here now and that's all that matters."

"But you weren't there for so much of her life and it's my fault." Her lower lip stuck out slightly in a very Sadie-like pout.

He was about to reply when Spencer spoke up. "Aria, I'm going to go over to Hanna's and stay the night. Apparently she's had a rough day and Caleb is in California with a business trip. You two are free to whatever my house has to offer."

Aria turned her attention to her, "Thanks, Spence. If Hanna needs anything give me a call."

The preppy Hastings' smiled slightly and nodded. "And I had my mom's caterer prepare a lunch. It's under the gazebo out back."

Ezra raised his eyebrows. A catered lunch under a gazebo? He forgot how fancy their family lived. "Thank you, Spencer."  
She nodded once again and then turned to exit before turning back. "And Emily called and I'm supposed to tell you that she might have signed you up for a year of some television company. She assured me that it was an accident."

"What? How did she manage that?" Ezra asked, still surprised.

She shrugged. "I think that after you left her alone in your apartment she took care of the rest of your bills for you."

If Ezra had a free hand at the moment he would have ran it through his hair. "And how did she manage _that?_ Wouldn't she need my passwords and credit card numbers and amounts and what not?"

Aria cut in. "You keep all of your passwords in the top drawer of your desk right under your take-out menu and when you pay bills you have all of that laying out. You write the amounts you'll have to pay down on that sheet of paper to reference. If she followed that it would be fine."

"And Emily is studying to be a financial advisor. I really wouldn't sweat it," Spencer said nonchalantly as if his former student paying his bills in his apartment with his money was no big deal.

He nodded. There wasn't much he could do. He couldn't get mad at her because she was obviously just trying to help. And he was the one who left her alone in his apartment.

Spencer shot one last glance to Aria before leaving the small family alone again.

"It sounds like we have backyard reservations to make. We ought to get going," he said with a formal voice.

Sadie lifted her head off of his shoulder at the mention of food and Ezra smiled. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

She nodded slightly, almost shyly. Though she knew who he was, she really didn't know anything about him and vice versa. He wasn't unfamiliar to her but in a way he was a stranger and she was always shy around strangers. Letting him hold her was almost natural; it just felt right. Conversing with him was something that would require a little more time.

Ezra looked at Aria who gave a small smile and led the way to the back where a gourmet lunch was laid out. The silverware was set like that of the fancy New York restaurants that Aria had occasionally attended. Various silver dishes were filled with salads and dressings and vegetables and every other thing imaginable that could possibly go with sandwiches were set out at a separate table.

The fact that Spencer had gotten the whole thing set up in the brief period of time that Ezra had been there astounded both of them, thought Spencer often had that effect on people. Her work ethic and brain power was unmatched by anyone else Aria had met, including Melissa.

"She really went all out," Ezra said with wide eyes.

Aria nodded, "Spencer tends to do that quite a bit."

Ezra walked to the shaded table. He was about to ask Sadie where she wanted to sit but then noticed that Aria's friend had even prepared a higher seat for the short toddler to sit at. He gently set her down but didn't sit himself. He stepped back from the table and waited for Aria to sit first, seeing whether she would take the position next to Sadie or across from her.

She watched him with curious hazel eyes.

He got a little flustered with both of the girls looking at him and he placed a hand on the back of his neck, glancing back and forth between the two. Both had amused twinkles in their eyes as if they could both see his dilemma.

Finally Aria cut the silence. "Ezra, you can sit by her. Or you can sit across from her. Whichever you choose. You don't need _my_ permission to sit next to _your_ daughter."

He turned his attention back to the table and towards Sadie who was watching him with observant blue eyes. "Can I sit by you?" he asked.

Sadie nodded and Ezra sat down on the seat next to her. Aria grabbed Sadie's plate and went over to the food, leaving the father and daughter alone together.

Ezra didn't know where to begin with Sadie. He wanted to know everything about her like most dads did with their little girls. He wanted to know what she liked, how she reacted in certain situations, what position that she slept in. Those things were little but he never had the opportunity to learn about those trivialities.

Lots of possible question flitted through his mind but none of them seemed appropriate to ask the two-year-old. Again he was at a loss for words, not because he didn't have anything to say but because he had too much to say.

Before he had even made any conversation Aria returned with Sadie's plate and set it before the little girl who picked up the fork and instantly went for the sliced strawberries.

Ezra watched her for a moment. "She's left handed?"

Aria looked over her shoulder from the food table and nodded. "It must have come somewhere from your side. Everyone in my family is right handed."

"My dad was left-handed," Ezra said quietly. His dad had always been a very touchy subject. When Ezra was young they were pretty close but then he started fighting with his mother and Ezra realized that his dad wasn't who he thought he was. Their relationship had completely fallen apart and he hadn't spoken to him in years.

Aria gave him a small smile before turning back to the food and preparing the rest of her plate. Once she was finished with hers she walked back to them and set it down.

Ezra started to stand with his plate but Aria gently pushed him down. "I'll get it."

It had been quite a few years but Aria was still able to prepare a plate with exactly what he would have chosen for himself. She knew so many little things about him – little things that she loved – and it was the same with him. Even though those things were very tiny details, neither had forgotten them.

Aria returned to the table and finally sat down for the first meal that they would have together as a family.

"What was it like when you first brought her home?" Ezra asked Aria, his gaze shifting from Sadie to her.

Aria looked off into the distance as she thought back to what it had been like to have Sadie for the first few months. "She was born only three months after I graduated from high school in New York. She was two and a half weeks early which scared me to death. She was so tiny, just a little over six pounds. I was terrified when I was released from the hospital because I had no idea how to care for her. I suddenly had a little girl who depended on me for everything and it was a little overwhelming.

"The first few months were stressful. She woke up so many times during the night and sleep became a luxury. I had no idea how to raise a child. Google became my best friends since I looked up everything from what to feed her to when to vaccinate her to what precautions to take when going out. Without the internet and Joanne, there's no way that she would've survived."

Aria looked at Sadie who was half paying attention to the conversation and half paying attention to the food. "Luckily she was a very mild child. She still is. She's very easy going and compliant. I swear that most of her traits came from you because I was extremely stubborn and could throw a very good fit." Aria crinkled her nose as she recalled the horror stories that her parents had always told her. She knew that to an extent they were exaggerating, but still Aria didn't think she could've handled Sadie if she were any more like her mother.

Ezra glanced towards Sadie and listened intently as Aria laid out more character traits. He paid very close attention, trying to remember every detail.

"What was her first word?"

Aria smiled, "Look." Her mind flashed back to that day almost two years ago. She had been pushing Sadie in a stroller through Central Park near sunset. The sky was somewhat clearer than it normally was and the fluffy clouds were tinted with oranges and pinks. Aria had been focused on the chipmunks that were chasing each other in and out of the trees.

Then she heard Sadie say, "Look." Her voice was soft and her blue eyes were wide with wonder as she pointed up at the colored sky with her little fingers.

Aria had instantly stopped the stroller and went around to crouch in front of her. Sadie was a quiet baby who didn't have the tendency to make a lot of noises like other little children did. Occasionally she would make a sound, but Aria had never really heard her voice until then.

The young mother did glance up at the beautiful sky, but her focus remained on Sadie. She was once again amazed by the little girl that she had brought into the world. Seeing her mature and take new steps was such an incredible experience and it was times like those that Aria knew that whatever happened, she would always have Sadie.

Ezra watched as a few emotions played across Aria's face. Pride. Happiness. Contentment. "You look so beautiful today," he said quietly after a minute.

Her cheeks colored as she blushed. Had he seen her that morning he would have thought that she was from the caveman era. She had cleaned up since then but what she was wearing was still very simple and she still had bags under her eyes that she couldn't cover up with make-up.

"I mean it, Aria."

She finally met his blue eyes. "Thank you."

Ezra nodded and continued to hold her gaze to his with an invisible rope that wouldn't let her look away. But it wasn't like she wanted to look away. His eyes were captivating and getting lost in them was easy. There was something intense and yet gentle in his deep blue eyes when he looked at her that had always intrigued Aria.

The sound of something dropping onto the concrete below pulled them out of their trance and both quickly looked towards their two-year-old, Aria blushing as she did so. From her position she couldn't see what had fallen but it must have been one of the many eating utensils that had been laid out.

Ezra bent down and picked up whatever it was before resurfacing a few seconds later with a salad fork in hand. He brushed it off before handing it to Sadie who shyly took it.

"Is she always like this?" he asked Aria who didn't have to ask what he meant by that.

"She's extremely shy. She warms up to some people faster than others, but she's always been very cautious around new people."

Ezra wrinkled his eyebrows. "But she wasn't shy the other day when I saw her on the street or earlier this morning."

Aria nodded. She was surprised herself when she looked out of the window and saw Sadie lying on his shoulder. Very rarely did she let anyone even touch her the first time she met them let alone pick her up. "She knew who you were," she replied simply.

"Yeah but how?" he asked curiously.

"She saw that picture I kept on my nightstand in my old room. She seemed to know who you were before I told her. It was like she recognized you even though she had never seen you," Aria said thoughtfully. "And then she saw us dance at my mom's reception."

Ezra nodded. Even if Sadie didn't look like Aria he would have recognized her that day in the rain. There was a connection that he couldn't explain but he knew how the child felt.

"I think she trusts you for some reason which is normally a longer process. But I think her shyness is because she doesn't really know you."

Ezra understood that as well. He really didn't know anything about her and the only way to fix that would be to spend more time with her.

Sadie who was still listening to her parent's conversation but mainly focused on eating reached forward to grab the glass but her little arms weren't quite long enough. Aria had absentmindedly set it near the center of the table after she had filled it up and no matter how hard the toddler tried she still couldn't reach it. At least sitting down she couldn't.

Aria and Ezra were too engaged in their conversation that had now moved on to what it was like for her to return to Rosewood to notice when the two-year-old stood up on the tall chair.

Sadie took a second to get stabilized and then bent over the table with one hand in an empty space. Her other hand stretched forward and reached the rim of the cup which she gripped tightly and carefully lifted in her direction.

Ezra looked over just in time to see the bottom of the cup hit the edge of her plate causing the cup to tip and the liquid inside to pour out in his direction. Aria was the first to react by quickly standing up the glass and then reaching for the napkin that lay to the side of the plate. Ezra wasn't as quick to react and the ice water ran off of the table onto his pants.

Sadie sat back down on the chair and used her hands to cover her mouth and her eyes widened as the water spread across the table and continued to fall onto her father's pants.

Ezra sat exactly where he was, still too surprised to move. Finally he closed his mouth that had been hanging open. "Cold," was all he said and both Aria and Sadie giggled. Ezra shook his head slightly and let out a sigh. He was freezing but they were happy and he'd gladly be uncomfortable to see them both smile. He took his napkin and helped Aria mop up the rest of the liquid, still dressed in the soaking pants.

* * *

"Where's Sadie?" Ezra asked Aria who was cleaning the last of the dishes from dinner. They had spent the entire afternoon together, just the three of them. They read books, talked, went on walks, played at the park, and whatever else the two-year-old could come up with.

They had fixed dinner together in Spencer's kitchen and were now cleaning it up. Sadie had been there drying the dishes as Aria handed them to her but somehow Ezra had ended up with that position and Sadie had disappeared.

Aria looked out of the window above the sink. Though she couldn't see Sadie herself, she could see the sky and knew instantly where her daughter was. "She's outside."

"How do you know?" Ezra asked curiously. There had been a few times throughout the day that he had asked a question similar to that and Aria knew the answer without even looking.

Aria shrugged and placed the now dry plates back into their position in the cupboards. "I just know." She went over and took his hand. "And I know that when we find her she will be lying on her back in the grass with her blanket spread out under her and her bunny next to her. Her hands will be under her head and she will be looking up. Come on, I'll show you."

She led him out of the glass doors and into the backyard where Ezra saw Sadie doing exactly what Aria said she would be. Exactly.

He shook his head in amazement and looked down at Aria who smirked. "Told you."

Sadie heard her mother's voice and turned her head to watch them approach.

"Look!" Sadie exclaimed quietly as she pointed up to the Pennsylvania sky that was now tinged with pinks and oranges from the setting sun. The fluffy clouds had silver linings that made them stand out amidst the paling sky.

Aria went and stretched out on the grass beside the toddler. "It's beautiful," she agreed before looking over at Ezra. He was standing off to the side with his hands shoved into his pockets, watching them with unsure eyes. Even though he had spent the entire day with them, he still didn't feel comfortable to join in with them instantly. It normally took a little bit of coaxing from both Sadie and Aria before he would participate or go closer or anything.

He was a key member of their family though and Aria wished that he could see that. It felt right when they were all together and she knew that he felt that way too but he was still hesitant, especially where Sadie was concerned. "Ezra, come on," she begged with big hazel puppy eyes.

The young English teacher scratched the back of his head and looked at her, his eyes still questioning even though she had been pretty clear with her instructions.

She sighed and stood up once again leaving Sadie to herself on the lush spring grass. Aria took both of his hands in hers and looked him in the eye. "What's wrong, Ezra?" she asked softly.

He looked down at their intertwined hands and gently brushed the back of her hands. "I don't want to make her uncomfortable."

Aria took one of her hands from his and placed it on the side of his head, gently pushing back some of his hair. "You aren't making her uncomfortable. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time, Ezra. There's a light in her eyes that hasn't been there before," Aria said, almost pleading with him to see how much both she and Sadie appreciated his presence and willingness to be a part of their lives even after everything that had happened. "She loves that you're here. She finally has the daddy she's always wanted and it means so much to her. It means so much to me."

Aria's eyes were now brimming with tears as she incorporated her feelings into her words. His being there really brought enough emotions to make her eyes burn. It meant _that_ much to her.

"Unless you don't want to be a part of her life. And if that's so please tell me now before she gets even more attached to you. If you leave now it would hurt her but much less than it will if you do later. I understand if you just want to walk away." Those words pained Aria to say. Even though she would like to, she couldn't handle it if he left. Not after seeing the way that Sadie looked at him with her big, blue, adoring eyes. It would kill her to see the disappointment in them if she had to explain to Sadie that her daddy would no longer be there. "And it will hurt me less if you back out now," she added quietly, no longer meeting his eyes.

Ezra quickly shook his head and placed his hands on both sides of her face so that she was forced to look at him. "Don't ever think that, Aria. Ever. I will always want you in my life. Always," he said in a firm whisper. "Don't doubt that. And I do want to be her father. I want that so much."

Aria looked up at him through her long, dark lashes. "Then why do you keep hanging back? You're just as much a part of this family as I am."

He gently brushed her cheek. "That's where you're wrong. I don't know what she likes to eat for dinner. I don't know why she's always outside. I don't know exactly what position she'll be in at what time. I'm not familiar with all of these things. I don't know her like you do."

"I'm sorry about that. I really am," Aria apologized.

Ezra shook his head, "I don't ever want to hear you say you're sorry again. There's absolutely no need for it."

Though she didn't necessarily agree with him she also didn't want to argue with him. "Then will you come watch the sun set with us?" she asked, once again doing her best impression of a begging puppy.

He smiled and nodded, "Gladly." He kissed the tip of her nose quickly before releasing her and retaking her hand.

As they walked back to Sadie Aria smiled slightly. That kiss, though quick, stirred something inside of her. He always had the capability of making her feel in a way that no one else could, even with a simple touch. And she had missed that.

"She loves the sky."

Ezra looked over at Aria who said it more like an answer than a statement. "What?"

"She's always outside because she loves the sky. She wakes up early sometimes just to see the sunrise. She stays up at night to watch the stars. She had a strange fascination with clouds. She likes the openness of it and hates being confined," Aria shrugged and Ezra realized that it was a delayed answer to his non-question.

He pulled her a little closer and kissed her temple. "Just like her beautiful momma," he whispered.

* * *

Aria snatched her phone off of her nightstand quickly and pulled up Alison's contact number. With everything that had happened that day with Ezra and Sadie she was able to put aside some of her anger for the controlling blonde but she had to hurry and say something just to get a little of the weight off of her chest.

The phone rang seven times and Aria almost thought that Ali wouldn't answer but then the other end of the phone picked up.

"Hello?" Ali's voice sounded completely bored, uninterested, and distant. Aria knew that she knew exactly what Aria was calling her about but she didn't seem the least bit bothered about it. Ali was never bothered by the repercussions of her actions. When she came back from being 'kidnapped' Aria had almost thought that she had legitimately changed but soon after learned that Alison never changed. Her cunning never left nor did her need to be in control. It was as much a part of Alison as apple pie was a part of America.

"Why, Ali? Why would you keep that from me? And don't pretend that you don't know what I'm referring to because you do know. And you also knew exactly how this would make me feel! You saw how confused I was but you did nothing about it. You never do anything unless it benefits you! And you like toying with people but we're not you're stupid puppets, Alison! We're real people with real lives with real consequences. Stop treating us like we're nothing more than the dolls you used to play with because I'm sick of it!"

Aria had to stop her yelling long enough to catch her breath. Her fists were clenched at her sides and her fingernails were digging into her own flesh. Aria hardly ever got angry. She was normally capable of shaking it off but this was one aspect of her life that she wouldn't let Alison mess with. She had messed with her dad, her family, her friends, but she wouldn't let her mess with her daughter. Not in a million years.

"Wow, Aria. Do I get a chance to answer any of those questions or defend myself against all of those accusations?" Alison asked, amusement evident in her voice.

"No, you don't. And don't play innocent, Ali, because that is the one thing you will never be," she said harshly. "I'm going to hang up because Ezra's here and he's with Sadie and we've had a wonderful day regardless of whatever you told him. So, do me a favor and stay away from me and Sadie."

She quickly hit the end button and threw the phone onto the bed before taking a slow breath. It felt good to get some of those feelings off of her chest. Even though she had so many more things to say to that girl, that was enough and Aria had a very handsome man still waiting in the backyard. That thought made her smile and she quickly ran down the stairs to where Sadie and Ezra were.

Sadie was lying on the grass in the same position that she had been in when Aria left her. Ezra was sitting on the swing that sat under the large sycamore tree. He smiled as he saw her and she quickened her pace slightly.

"You look a little worked up. Is everything okay?" he asked, concern written evidently in his eyes.

Aria sighed and sat next to him pulling her knees up onto the swing and laying her head onto his shoulder. He placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him until they were situated in the relatively same position that they used to whilst watching movies on the couch. It felt so good to be curled up next to him and it seemed like all of her worries had melted away.

"I called Alison," she said after a minute.

Ezra looked down at her. "Aria, Alison is a jerk. It's not worth getting into a fight with her."

She nodded. "I know but I was so angry. Because of her I almost went back to New York."

Ezra was angry at her as well for almost making Aria leave again but he had learned his lesson where Alison DiLaurentis was concerned. It was always best to just not fight back because arguments and confrontations were just fuel to her fire. Not responding annoyed her more than any comments or yelling would ever do.

"I know. I know. But it's best to just let this one go," he soothed.

Aria bit her lip but agreed. She kind of had flown off of the handle on the phone which definitely wasn't the adult way of going about it. And Aria did know that the chance of anyone winning a war against Alison was zero to none. "You're right," she finally consented to which he nodded. It was better for her to drop it before Alison countered back and caused lasting damage.

The two fell quiet, Ezra slowly rocking the chair back and forth with his legs and Aria lying contently on his shoulder. She looked out at Sadie who had fallen asleep whilst watching the stars slowly start to appear. Ezra had laid a jacket on top of her and tucked her in. It was a silent agreement that she would stay there asleep until Ezra went home and Aria went to bed.

Occasionally a cricket would chirp or an owl would hoot and disturb the silence that had befallen the small city. A slight breeze swept across the land causing the leaves above to dance and rustle as they brushed into one another, each spinning slowly on its stem which was the only thing keeping them from falling to the ground.

The sun was long since gone and the colors had all fleeted leaving behind the black expanse known as night. The moon was nowhere in sight but thousands of stars decorated the sky like lights on a Christmas tree.

Stars had always intrigued Aria. They looked like you could reach up and grab one between two fingers when in reality they were light years away, beyond anyone's reach. What seemed so close was actually so far, past anyone's comprehension. There they hung in the sky, sharing their light with the world yet retaining their secrets and mysteries. Their beauty couldn't be contaminated by the dirty things of the world. That's what made them different from everything else. They were beyond the earth's influence. Instead they remained in their own realities. Free. Enchanting. Timeless.

Ezra watched Aria as she looked up at the sky. He saw the wonder cross her face and the amazement play across her mouth. Her eyes were wide and her lips slightly parted as she took in everything that she could see through the leaves of the large tree overhead. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, her dark locks cascading down her back and the slight curls wrapping around her arm or his or whatever else was in close proximities.

She was beautiful. In every sense of the word. Every time he saw her he was blown away by how effortlessly stunning she was. One smile. One look. One eye roll. It was all enough to take his breath away. And then there was her amazing personality and loving character. All of the little traits that added up to make Aria Montgomery. All of the little things that had come to mean the world to him over the years.

There was no denying that he loved her. With every fiber in his being. Every part of his mind. Every piece of his heart. She was his Belle, his Sleeping Beauty, his Cinderella. His everything. It had been that way since he had seen her that first time in the bar. It would be that way forever.

And then there was Sadie now. The time that they had spent together that day had meant the literal world to him. Seeing her eyes twinkle when she got a little mischievous idea. Watching as her whole face lit up as soon as Aria mentioned ice cream. Hearing those rare giggles that sounded so innocent and free and joyous. He loved being there to witness it. To have the opportunity to be a part of their lives was all he could ever ask for. That was all he ever wanted. All he ever needed.

Aria noticed his eyes on her after a minute and looked up at him. "What?" she asked curiously. He had that look in his eyes. It was that look that only showed up on rare occasions that was so incredibly soft like she could melt away under his blue gaze.

He brushed back her hair, not because it was falling into her face but because he wanted to feel her soft cheek under his thumb and her thick locks between his fingers. "Do you have any idea how much I missed you?" he asked huskily, his voice raw with emotion.

Aria smiled softly, "I missed you, too." Then she laid her head back down on his shoulder and nestled in closer to his side. He kissed the top of her head and gently ran his fingers through the bottom half of her hair. Just for a moment, everything was perfect. He was _exactly_ where he needed to be with exactly who he needed to be with. Nothing else in the world mattered except the woman at his side and the girl lying in the grass. And it was at that moment that he finally understood what people meant when they said paradise.

* * *

Aria was on a happiness hangover, even though that probably wasn't even a thing. Actually, she stopped that train of thought. She was going to make it a thing.

The day before had been the definition of perfection. Though it had started out sort of rough, it soon shaped up to be one of the best days of her life. Seeing Ezra and Sadie together warmed her heart like nothing else had ever done before. She could see the connection between them grow stronger as they spent more time together. And the adoring way that she looked at him made her smile every time. Needless to say, she was smiling a lot.

Most people would describe her happiness as being on Cloud 9 but Aria had been on Cloud 9 and it still didn't encompass her euphoria. Maybe she was on Cloud 18 since that was twice the happiness associated with Cloud 9.

After that thought Aria shook her head and placed her palm to her forehead. Who the heck would come up with Cloud 18? No one. And if someone did one would expect it to be a math geek which Aria was certainly not.

"Aria, that grin hasn't left your face all day long. I think that you're a little too happy for your own good. Your cheeks are going to be permanently stuck like that," Hanna said from her position at the kitchen counter.

Aria tried to stop smiling but it was a lot harder than one might imagine. "Is it possible to be too happy for your own good?" she asked curiously as she too began contemplating the question.

Spencer looked up from her lap top on which she was working furiously to finish an assignment from her mother so that she could be done and more fully join the conversation. "That's a yes. Being completely happy and blissful is normally associating with being completely blind and stupid. Sometimes people who are excessively happy can't keep their heads straight," she answered basing her reply on previous experiences in life. Through high school in those rare moments that she focused on anything besides for A she had often seen girls who were so 'in love' that they didn't see how toxic those relationships really were. Sort of like how the girls had been in their friendship with Alison before she 'was kidnapped.'

Emily cut in quickly once she saw Aria wrinkle her brow. "Not that Ezra's the wrong person. You have every right to be excessively happy right now, Aria," she assured the small brunette.

"Can someone get the door?" Hanna asked. "My hands are covered in chicken juice." Her nose crinkled up as she looked down at the meat she was preparing for dinner. The other girls had all offered to help but she said she had everything under control. As it turns out the recipe was harder to follow than she had originally anticipated and all of the spices were making her pregnant stomach turn. Luckily she only had to prepare dinner for her and Caleb since all of the girls already had dinner plans.

Emily jumped up and went to the door that was down a separate hall in the Rivers' mansion. It wasn't actually a mansion but the other girls referred to it as one because it was quite large. Way bigger than Spencer's even. When they had seen the framing for the house go up shortly after their marriage Emily had thought that they were making a movie theater or department store or something of the likes. It was very grand and very fitting for Hanna's lifestyle.

She opened the door and Alison walked in without waiting to be invited. She flashed her white smile at Emily before going past her into the kitchen area.

As soon as Aria saw the blonde her whole body stiffened up and her happiness was replaced by anger. She hadn't said anything else to her but she certainly hadn't forgiven her either.

Both Hanna and Spencer looked at her apologetically. They knew how Aria was feeling and shared many of the same feelings. Alison hadn't been invited that evening at all but she somehow knew right when and where to show up.

Aria understood that it wasn't any of their doing but she still couldn't stand being in the same room as her. She stood up and grabbed her bag off of the back of the chair. "I've got to go," she said to Hanna before walking briskly in the way that Alison had just come.

As she was walking away she heard Alison remark to the others, "She's blowing this all out of proportion."

The small brunette clenched her jaw and clutched her bag tighter but didn't go back in. Ezra had said last night that she wasn't worth it and Aria agreed. Getting into a fight with Alison was pointless.

"Really she has no reason to be mad at me," Alison continued to which both Hanna and Spencer protested.

Aria was to the door when she heard Ali's last comment. "Aria's being more dramatic than Sadie is."

Bringing Sadie into their fight wasn't tolerable at all by Aria. She instantly went into protective mother mode and stormed back into the kitchen. "Alison, don't act innocent. Don't act dumb. And _don't_ bring Sadie into this or ever say anything bad about her again. She's the least dramatic girl I have ever met." She turned to go once again before turning back as she thought of something else. "And you are the most dramatic person I know. If there isn't trouble going on you create it and I'm tired of it." She gestured around the room. "We all are."

Hanna slightly nodded and Spencer continued watching the heated conversation. Normally they would jump in and stop the two before anything bad could truly happen but Aria deserved the chance to yell at her.

Alison scoffed audibly, "I'm the dramatic one, Aria? Everything has been about you and Sadie since you came back. We're all getting tired of that."

Aria rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Everything's not about me. It's about all of us. Emily and her dad. Spencer and Wren. Hanna and her baby. You're just mad that it's no longer all about _you._"

"You're acting very immaturely right now Aria. I can't see why Ezra still likes you."

All 5'2" of Aria was fuming. "Is that what this is about? Ezra? You're jealous?" She didn't give her time to respond. "Well, guess what. You had your chance with him and you blew it. Just like you do every relationship because no one can put up with all of your lies."

Alison started to say something but Aria quickly cut her off. "Look, if you need help moving on, go see a stinking relationship counselor and stop trying to sabotage everyone else's."

Aria turned with a slightly dramatic flip of her hair and went to the door. Both Hanna and Spencer had to give her credit for that exit. It was very movie-like and well timed but both knew that they couldn't let her walk out of the door.

"Umm, Aria? Sadie's asleep on Hanna's bed upstairs. If you want to leave her that's alright but…" Spencer let it hang.

Aria bit her lip and turned back into the kitchen where the stairs were. She glared at Alison the whole way and she got Sadie and her things as quickly as possible before retreating downstairs.

She didn't say anything else but she could feel all of them watching her leave. She nodded once to Emily as she passed her in the wide hallway and then walked out of the front door.

So much for her dramatic exit.

* * *

She needed to talk to him. He was the only one who could calm her down.

Aria held Sadie's hand as they walked up the stairs to Ezra's apartment. She hadn't called but from what he had said yesterday he didn't have anything after three and it was five so he was probably there. And very rarely did he have company so she figured it would be fine for her to just show up.

Sadie had never been to 3B before and Aria was a little curious to see what her reaction to the place would. It was small which Sadie had never really liked and somewhat dark as well. The books would be an instant attraction though and Aria was certain that their daughter would love that aspect of the small space.

Aria pulled her keys out of her pocket. When she left to Philly that November night she hadn't taken her keys but they were exactly where she had left them when she returned home and among which was her key that led to Ezra's apartment. And, luckily, he hadn't changed his doorknob.

She could always knock but that was so old fashioned. And knocking on his door didn't feel right. She had always just walked in.

Aria let go of Sadie's hands so that she could unlock the door and then turned the knob before pushing the wooden door open. She didn't look up once it was open as she turned to pull the key back out and make sure Sadie followed her in.

"I saw Ali today. She showed up at Hanna's a-" Aria was cut off by Ezra which very rarely happened. She looked up and then realized why. They weren't alone.

"Aria," he said quickly to prevent her from saying anything else about that in front of his company.

She slowly shut the door and her mouth before taking Sadie's hand once again and pulling her closer to her side. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," she apologized to both Ezra and his visitors.

Ezra smiled slightly. "It's no problem. Really."

"Aria? I thought that you disappeared? Ezra, dude, why didn't you tell us that she was back?" Wesley Fitzgerald asked his older brother. The last time Aria and Wes had met was back when the whole Malcolm drama was going on. Apparently Ezra had filled them in on her absence but not of her return. That made sense to her though. She still wasn't positive as to where they stood or what to tell people and she figured that he was in the same position.

Ezra looked at Aria who didn't know exactly what to tell him. He wasn't familiar with A or anything like that but it would be necessary if she was going to be able to properly explain how Sadie fit into the equation and why she hadn't been there before.

"I did disappear but I got back a few weeks ago," Aria answered as vaguely as possible.

Ezra's mother looked back and forth between Aria and Ezra and Sadie multiple times. She didn't want to believe that the girl was Ezra's but knowing him and his love for Aria she knew that the chance was highly probable.

Ezra saw his mom trying to make the connection and he crouched down and reached for Sadie to go to him. He wasn't sure if she would because of her shyness but she did leave Aria's side to go to her father's arms.

He stood up with her on his side and turned back to face his family. "Mom, this is Sadie. Sadie, this is your grandmother."

Diane wasn't quite sure how to react. Her rich snobbish side suggested that she shouldn't recognize the child at all. She was Aria's and Aria had never been good for Ezra. But she had stopped listening to that side of her only a few months after Aria left. She had seen how absolutely broken her son was and it was then that she realized that he really needed someone and he didn't have anyone. He had lost her and she was the only person he really had in his life. It wasn't until then that she realized that maybe there was more to life than money and fame.

She smiled at the girl. "Hi, sweetie." Diane wasn't sure what to say or do. The child already looked a little frightened and she certainly didn't want to scare the girl.

Wesley was still standing with his mouth open. Sometimes it took him a little longer to process things. "Ezra, you're a dad. I'm an uncle. She's a grandma. She's a mom. Like, for real this time?"

Ezra smiled and looked at Sadie proudly. "For real this time," he nodded.

Wesley took a step closer and softly touched Sadie's shoulder. "Hello little miss."

Sadie eyed him for a moment before laying her head on Ezra's shoulders.

"She's really shy," Ezra explained.

"She's adorable, Aria. Really. I am so happy for the two of you," Diane said genuinely. She was now a grandmother and – though that made her sound old – she finally had someone to spoil. Growing up neither Ezra or Wesley enjoyed shopping or dressing up or anything and she had always wanted a girl that she could take to Paris or spend thousands of dollars on.

Aria smiled. "Thank you."

Ezra looked over at Aria who was standing a little detached from the group. "My mom and Wesley surprised me. They're going to be here for a few days staying in a hotel," he quickly explained.

"Oh, well. Once again, sorry to interrupt and I guess we'll go back to Spencer's," Aria said as she moved forward to take Sadie from Ezra.

"You don't need to leave, Aria," Diane cut in. "I'd love to catch up with you and have time to spend with Sadie. She is my first granddaughter you know."

Aria glanced at Ezra to get his take on the situation. "Yeah, stay Aria. Please."

She nodded hesitantly. "Alright."

Ezra offered a grateful smile and then sat on the couch behind him. Wesley and Diane sat in the chairs across from the couch. Aria sat next to Ezra. Not as close as they had been the night before but enough that occasionally their arms or knees would brush.

Diane turned eagerly to Aria, determined to show the girl that she had changed and was making an effort to get to know her because more than likely Aria Montgomery would end up sharing her last name. "So, Aria, do tell. What's it like to disappear?"

* * *

"So we're on for breakfast tomorrow? My treat?" Ezra's mother asked as she was walking out of the door. "And you and Sadie as well, Aria."

Ezra nodded as did Aria and then Diane left followed by Wesley who stopped to wave to Sadie before leaving. "Bye Sadie," he said cheerfully.

She waved back and he left with a wink aimed at Aria.

Ezra rolled his eyes, "He is the worst flirt sometimes. I'm sorry."

Aria smiled. "It's not a problem." The dinner and conversation had all gone very well. Diane was trying very hard to understand and not judge. She was legitimately making an effort to get to know Aria and Sadie.

Sadie had been her usual shy self. After a while she eventually began to respond to their questions but it was always with only one word or a simple nod of her head.

The two both looked at Sadie as soon as they heard a thud to find her sitting on the floor in front of her couch. "You know, if she had gotten your tallness gene she wouldn't have this problem," Aria said.

"Does this happen often?" he asked as he went over to help the little girl onto the couch.

Aria nodded. "All of the time. Perks of being small, I guess."

Ezra couldn't help but agree. Sadie was definitely small. They had gone to the park the day before and there were one year olds who were bigger than her. The shortness definitely came from her mother.

"So are you going home or do you want to watch a movie or we could play games or something?" he suggested.

Aria looked at Sadie who in turn looked at her. "I wanna stay," she declared with grave blue eyes. Like Aria had expected, she loved the books. The size wasn't small enough to bug her. And she absolutely loved that it was her daddy's house. Most of the night had been spent on his lap or in his arms or next to him at the table.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.

He nodded, "You're always welcome here, Aria. You know that. And I'm also happy to watch Sadie if you ever have something come up. I would actually really like that."

"Movie," Sadie said cutting her parents off.

Ezra ruffled her hair. "You want to watch a movie? Which one?"

Sadie thought for a moment before replying with Mulan and Ezra flicked on the TV. Aria raised her eyebrows. "You have Mulan on your TV?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Do you remember that TV thing Emily signed me up for? Apparently it comes with unlimited streaming of movies."

Aria smiled. "Look at you moving up in the world. Do you have something I can change into?"

He nodded towards his dresser. "Take whatever you'd like from there."

Aria walked over and opened the drawer which contained his pajamas and selected a pair of flannel pants and an old college t-shirt. "I'm going to go change," she excused herself and then went to the bathroom and shut the door.

Ezra found what he was looking for on the TV and started the movie before pressing pause. "Do you want popcorn?" he asked Sadie who nodded instantly like he expected her to. She had a slight obsession with dessert of any kind so he already knew what her answer was going to be. "Come, on. Let's go make it."

He swung her up onto his side and carried her to the counter where he swung her up and pulled out the popcorn box.

When Aria resurfaced from the bathroom a few minutes later in his pajamas she first noticed Sadie's giggles. She couldn't see them which meant that they were in the kitchen.

She walked softly to his bed and placed her clothes on the end and watched the father and daughter.

Sadie was sitting on the counter and Ezra was tickling her belly and then her feet and then her legs and she was very much enjoying it. She didn't giggle much but she was certainly doing so now. For a second Aria almost got jealous that Sadie was so enthralled with her father. She had to work hard to get that laugh to come out and here he was getting her to do it without any effort.

That moment quickly passed as she returned to relishing the sight. The microwave dinged and Ezra opened it, pulling out the popcorn bag and tossing it onto the table. "That's hot," he told Aria who he had seen when he turned around.

Aria nodded and smiled. "That it is."

Ezra turned to Sadie and lifted her off of the counter. "Go sit on the couch and we'll be there in a second with the popcorn."

The toddler nodded and did as told. "What were you saying about Alison when you walked in earlier? Is everything okay?" he asked with a worried tone.

She sighed. "Ali showed up at Hanna's house and was being a brat. It's no big deal though."

Ezra poured the popcorn out of the bag and into a bowl. "It must have been a big deal for you to come here as quickly as you did."

"I was just upset. She insulted me and she insulted Sadie and she's playing the innocent card. Which she isn't."

"No she is not," he agreed. "Do you want me to talk to her?"

Aria shook her head. "I'm just going to keep my distance from her for a while so I can calm down."

He nodded. "That's probably wise. If you ever need anything though, feel free to come over or call me. I'm here for you."

She smiled. "Thank you, Ezra."

He took her hand and they walked towards the couch flipping out the lights on the way until the only illumination came from the TV screen. Ezra sat down next to Sadie who had her blanket and bunny. Aria sat on the other side of him and Sadie climbed into his lap.

The popcorn was placed on Aria's lap and Ezra started the show.

As the beginning credits began playing across the screen Aria whispered in Ezra's ear, "I think I'm going to have to move to New York again."

His eyebrows shot up. "What for? Why?"

"Because Sadie doesn't give me any attention anymore. She hasn't since she met you."

He let out his breath that he was unintentionally holding. "Is someone jealous?"

Aria smiled slightly. "Yes I am and I'll own up to it."

Ezra shifted Sadie so that she was positioned on his leg that was closest to Aria. "Is that better?"

She nodded and laid her head on his shoulder once again returning her attention to the TV. Sadie moved again so that she was lying on Ezra's arm with her feet across Aria's lap but behind the popcorn.

Ezra kissed the top of both of their heads and then thought of a disturbing thought. "I don't have a free hand to get popcorn with," he remarked.

Aria smiled and grabbed a handful which she dropped into his open mouth. Most of it fell down his chest and onto Sadie or her but neither cared.

"You are totally going to have to vacuum tomorrow."

He nodded and pulled her closer to him. "I'm aware."

* * *

**I hope you all love Ezria because there was a lot of it this chapter. My apologies. School just started to which I attribute the lateness of this update and every upcoming update, but that's life for you. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15A

**~What Once Was Lost~**

* * *

**Hi! Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. School started and it's way busy in a good way. I promised a couple of people that I would publish this chapter today but I'm not going to get it all done tonight so this is the first half of it. The second half will come later this week. ANYWHO, without further adieu, here is part one chapter 15…**

* * *

Quaint was a good word to describe the diner that Dianne had chosen for breakfast. It was about thirty miles out of Rosewood and from the moment Aria pulled into the parking lot she could tell that it was as low-key as restaurants can be. The small exterior gave the place a 'grandma's kitchen' sort of feel to it – the kind that one would hear about in a mother's story or see in those cheesy romances.

Aria stepped out of the driver's seat and went around to unbuckle Sadie from her car seat. As she had expected, the two-year-old was asleep. They had gone home from Ezra's at a little past midnight and Sadie had loved every second of it but now she was extremely tired. Getting her up and ready for the day's adventures had been a struggle.

The young mother sighed and carefully lifted her out. Even that slight movement was enough to wake the toddler and Sadie's eyelids fluttered open revealing sleepy blue eyes.

Aria stepped back and shut the car door with her foot because one arm was holding Sadie and the other was holding her wallet, phone, and keys. She had accidentally worn pants that had no pockets which she was regretting already and it was scarcely 9:00.

She walked up the short, cobblestone path that led to the front door. As she pushed it open a small, golden bell tinkled from above her head.

The interior of the place matched the exterior quite nicely. Blue curtains were draped across the rods and tied on both sides with large bows. Hanging lamps came to just above the heads of the taller people. The booths were constructed of wood paneling but topped with hand-crafted cushions. Across the walls were old signs and sayings about farm life.

It definitely didn't seem like a place the Chanel-oriented Dianne Fitzgerald would ever recommend.

Aria quickly scanned the people and her eyes caught the curly brown hair that she instantly knew belonged to Ezra. Across the table from him were his mother and Wesley. The three were engaged in some conversation that was enthralling enough that none of them noticed her entrance, even with the little tinkle that announced her arrival.

She glanced at her phone and found that she was seven minutes late and sighed. Even though Dianne was legitimately trying to get to know the two of them, Aria also knew that inside she was still very prim and proper and being late wasn't very responsible or professional of her.

"Aria! We were just talking about you," Wesley called from his position at the table.

The thought of them talking about her was concerning. She knew Ezra well enough to know that he didn't tolerate any bad comments about her so she was safe there but she had no promises against embarrassing things. And there were so many of them…

She smiled slightly at Wes who was watching her and then walked over to their booth. It was situated near the back corner next to a window that provided a clear view of the trees that lined the side. It was facing east where the sun had just started its daily trek across the sky and the morning rays shone through the oak leaves creating a pattern of shadows on the tabletop.

Ezra stood up once he saw her and offered a quick smile. "Good morning."

Aria smiled. "Good morning."

He gestured to the bench and she slid in with Sadie still half asleep in her arms.

"It's such a lovely spring morning, isn't it dear? All the flowers and the chirping birds and the bright sunshine. It's all very cheerful. Philadelphia is beautiful but you lose the nature feel, if you understand what I'm saying," Dianne commented as she looked out of the carefully polished windows.

Aria nodded, "I understand completely. New York was simply morning traffic every day and I missed hearing the birds chirp."

Dianne redirected her gaze to Aria. "Concrete jungles don't exactly make good substitutes for the real thing, do they?"

Aria shook her head. Nothing could compare to the fresh scent that accompanied the trees and small communities. The honking horns couldn't do the singing birds justice. The smell of pollution was nothing like the sweet scent of springtime flowers. The two were hardly comparable at all.

Ezra brushed back a few strands of Sadie's hair from her face. Underneath be found those beautiful blue eyes that were watching him gravely. He gently tucked the hair behind her hair. "Hi, sweetie."

A small smile lifted the corner of her mouth but that was the only response he got. Aria looked over at him. "She's tired. She didn't get much sleep last night…" She let that trail off.

Ezra caught her hint instantly. After Mulan he started another movie and once it ended he joined forces with Sadie to convince Aria to watch another one. It was poor judgment on her part but she gave in to their pleading faces. And even though Sadie was tired, she didn't regret that last movie. It felt so right for the three of them to be together as the family that they had never had.

Wesley turned to Aria and said with a smirk, "So Ezra was telling us about the time you turned in an essay about gloves."

Her eyes widened and she turned to Ezra who was trying to maintain a straight face but his eyes were so clearly laughing. She shook her head and punched his shoulder. "You weren't supposed to tell anybody about that."

He rubbed his arm. "Ow. That hurt."

She rolled her eyes and Dianne smiled. The light in Ezra's eyes had been vanquished for the past three years and now it was rekindled even brighter than it had been before. She loved seeing him happy again.

"I don't care," she said, still angry that he told them. Her mind flashed back to that day that was near the beginning of her senior year. The assignment had been to write an essay about the way love in classics differed from the love found in modern day novels. Aria had been absent the day he gave the assignment so she called him. He was on his way into a meeting when he answered. Aria could still remember almost exactly how the conversation went because it was so embarrassing afterwards.

* * *

"_Hey," Aria said._

_Ezra smiled slightly. He always loved picking up a phone call with her on the other end. "Hi. Aria, I can't talk right now. I'm late for a meeting with some of the school district people."_

"_Can you just tell me what you did in class today?" she asked. With everything going on regarding A she had missed quite a bit of school and couldn't afford to turn anything else in late. _

_He sighed and quickly exited the driver's seat of his car. He was going to be late and fashionably late wasn't something that existed in his profession. "An essay about classic love." His words came out very quickly but Aria thought she understood them._

_Her eyebrows raised. Plastic gloves? "Are you serious?"_

_He nodded. "Yeah. You'll do fine Aria. Just turn it into me before school tomorrow. I've got to go. I love you." _

"_Yeah, I love you too," she said to no one since he had already hung up the phone. She sighed and began her essay wondering what exactly had possessed him when he gave the assignment._

* * *

_Aria followed Spencer into Mr. Fitz classroom. The day that far had already been long. She was late to her first hour because she had run out of gas halfway through Rosewood. On her way into the building she had slipped on the sidewalk and her history assignment had slipped out of her binder and fallen into the mud. Her teacher was in a particularly cranky mood and had docked ten points because it was soggy._

_ Since then she had acquired two more essays and a review for a major test that she had to look forward to the next day. All she wanted was to go home and sleep._

_ Aria slid into her desk and set her stuff heavily onto the desk before leaning back and staring at the chalk board behind Ezra's head drifting into a state somewhere between oblivion and sleep._

_ She was snapped out of it when she finally noticed that Hanna had been repeatedly kicking her shin. "What?"_

_ Her blonde friend smirked and nodded her head towards the teacher. "What did you do to make him so happy?"_

_ Aria looked over at Ezra who, indeed, was watching her with a big grin. He kept trying to keep a straight face and give the rest of his students attention but he couldn't. Every few seconds his blue eyes would return to her filled with amusement and his smile would make his laugh lines apparent. She gave him a confused look and he just shook his head slightly._

_ A few other kids noticed his very happy expression. "Hey, Mr. Fitz. Because you're so happy does that mean we don't have to share our essays?" a boy asked._

_ Ezra looked over at him and finally managed to manage the smile and slip back into teacher mode. "No, Mr. Peterson, it does not. I hope everybody came prepared to share their assignments."_

_ He walked around to behind his desk and rifled through a stack of papers before pulling out the class roll. "We are just going to go alphabetically down the list by first names. That means that first up we have –" He cut himself short as he realized something. He quickly glanced up at Aria and then back at the list. "We're going to go alphabetically by last name. Anderson, you're up."_

_ Aria raised one eyebrow when he was looking and he smiled again. She wasn't in the mood for whatever this was. Her day was already crappy and now he was teasing her. She glared at him but it only made his smile brighter. She rolled her eyes and refused to look at him again._

_ Almost everywhere she looked people were smiling. Spencer was. Hanna was. Emily was. The random kid in the far corner who never talked was smiling. Apparently his mood was contagious. It annoyed her._

_ Nathan Anderson stood up and walked to the front of the class. "You want us to read the whole thing?" _

_ Mr. Fitz shook his head. "Only read the last two paragraphs. I don't want to take more than a day on this."_

_ The school-renowned baseball pitcher began, "And so, love is a lot like a baseball game. There are ups and downs. There are times when you can't catch up no matter how hard you try. There are times when…" Nate went on, the rest of his paper about how love was like baseball. _

_ Aria narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out how that had anything to do with gloves. Maybe his paper had originated with baseball gloves or mitts or whatever they were called. She still couldn't see how that related to plastic gloves. _

_ It wasn't until the next three people went that she noticed the recurring theme between the papers. And it had nothing to do with plastic gloves._

_ Her eyes shifted to Ezra and he smiled again, his eyes were practically dancing with amusement. She glared and shook her head slightly. One by one the students went, some earning cat calls and cheers from the rest of the class. _

_ As soon as Hanna stood up, Aria started getting worried. She was a Marin and that meant that Montgomery was coming up very quickly if it wasn't the very next one. _

_ She finally lifted her eyes and waited for Ezra to look at her which didn't take long. Her expression clearly conveyed her worry and her hazel eyes were almost pleading. He smirked and then looked away leaving her unsure about what his answer was. _

_ When he called for Nick Peterson she let out a breath. Spencer looked back at her and raised her eyebrows. She just gave her a quick smile and then looked away. Her relationship with the teacher had never affected her schooling in anyway. Sure she had some special help from Mr. Fitz but he had never changed her grade or excused her from an assignment before. Leave it to Spencer to notice the one time she was spared._

_ The rest of the students finished much quicker than Ezra had originally anticipated. There were still five minutes left in the class and one of them was bound to notice that he hadn't called Aria's name. _

_ He stood up and went around to the front of the desk where he leaned back. Now he had to stall to keep Aria from never speaking to him again. If he made her present her essay she would never forgive him and he wasn't okay with that thought. Just by looking at her he could tell that she wasn't in the mood for it at all._

_ "So what's one thing that you noticed about all of the essays?" he asked, looking around the room for someone to raise their hand and comment. Normally Aria was among the first to participate but she was leaning over the desk with her head in her hands. He bit his lip to keep from smiling for the quadrillionth time that day. _

_ Finally someone timidly raised a hand. "Though the topic was the same on all of them, the approach was totally different."_

_ Ezra nodded. "Good. Some people's approaches were _very different_. But they, for the most part conveyed the same thing."_

_ Aria blushed as he emphasized those words. Even though he hadn't made her present, she was still highly annoyed with him and there was no way she was going to his apartment after school like they had planned. _

_ Mr. Fitz was able to keep the conversation going for another three minutes and he thought he was going to be able to slip it by until Noel Kahn raised his hand. "Mr. Fitz. You skipped Aria. She didn't share her essay."_

_ Ezra looked at the football player and then down at his list. "It seems we did." Then he shifted his gaze to the clock. "But it looks like we're out of time. I guess she's off of the hook for this one."_

_ "There's still another minute. Her last two paragraphs can't take that long," Noel persisted. _

_ The teacher clenched the edge of the desk. There was no way he would humiliate Aria like that but he couldn't show her preferential treatment either. He was walking on thin ice. _

_ A few other boys around the room joined in. "It's not fair that she doesn't have to read hers. We all did."_

_ Spencer, Hanna, and Emily all looked at Aria who was practically squirming in her seat under all of the scrutiny of the whole class. None of them would want to be in her position at the moment._

_ Ezra was about to say something else when the bell rang. He let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, no homework tonight but be prepared for a quiz about the book tomorrow. You're excused."_

_ They all quickly gathered their things and filed out of the door. Aria tried to as well but he caught her. "Miss Montgomery. I need to speak with you about your essay."_

_ Aria bit her lip and contemplated ignoring him but figured that wouldn't go over well if anyone else noticed. She slowly grabbed her stuff as the last few students trickled out of the English classroom._

_ As soon as they were all gone he turned and picked up a paper from his desk that she knew had to be her essay. _

_ "I had a few extra minutes in my second hour class so I decided to look over your essay. It wasn't really what I was expecting."_

_ She glared at him but didn't say anything. _

_ "The topic was classic love, not plastic gloves. Although, this was very well written and strangely interesting." He smiled despite the fact that she looked like she was getting ready to strangle him._

_ Aria walked to the front of the classroom and tried to grab the paper out of his hand but he lifted it above her head a lot like an older sibling would do to an older one and not like a teacher would do to a student. But Aria was much more than his student. _

_ "Ezra, give me my assignment," she demanded. _

_ He shook his head. "I know this is partly my fault because I didn't clarify things for you."_

_ "Partly? This is all your fault," she scoffed. _

_ He smiled. She was getting so worked up and her hazel eyes were filled with the fiery determination that he had often times seen in her mother. "Okay, it's all my fault. And because it's my fault I'm going to keep this."_

_ "I hate you," she said angrily. She wasn't really serious because she could never hate him but it sure felt like she could at that moment. _

_ "I love you, too," he chuckled and Aria shoved him in the shoulder. "Go to class." _

_ She did as instructed but glared at him the whole way out._

* * *

_Somewhere between the end of school and the beginning of dinner Aria had lost that hate everything mood she was in. Though she had promised herself that she wouldn't go over to Ezra's she had quickly changed her mind. She needed to talk to him._

_ Sighing, she slowly opened the door to his apartment to find him at the stove. "I was wondering when you were going to show up," he said without turning around. Aria was the only one with a key to his apartment and only she walked in without invitation._

_ She walked to the couch and slung her bag onto it before sitting down at the table which had been set for two people regardless of the fact that she had told him she wasn't coming. He knew her too well._

_ "What are you making?" she asked. "It actually smells pretty good."_

_ He glanced over his shoulder at her. "It's some pasta recipe Mrs. Welsh gave me. She assured me that it was so simple that even I could make it."_

_ She raised her eyebrows. "Wow, what does it have? Two ingredients?"_

_ He smiled. "It actually has six."_

_ "Should I be worried?" she asked teasingly._

_ "I don't think so. Can you cut the pepper on the counter? I think that's all I need."_

_ She stood up and selected a knife from his assortment. "You know that I have bad luck with knives right?"_

_ He smiled and quickly kissed her forehead as he walked past her to the fridge. "I believe in you."_

_ She just shrugged and began to slice the vegetable. _

_ Both made it through the dinner without mentioning what happened in class earlier that day._

_ "Ezra, about my essay…" she said from her position on the couch. _

_ He looked up from his movies and smiled. "What about it?"_

_ "First of all, thank you for not making me share it." _

_ He nodded and went to sit next to her. She repositioned herself so that she was facing him. "Second of all, I still blame you."_

_ He smirked. "You know, technically in this situation a teacher would require the student to redo the assignment."_

_ Her face fell a little bit. "Really? I have to redo it? Can't you just grade my other one?"_

_ "I could but I'm not sure it meets the criteria I'm using to judge the rest of the classes," he teased._

_ "Don't make me redo it," Aria stuck out her bottom lip. "Please, Ezra."_

_ He still looked unsure so Aria leaned in a little closer, "Please?"_

_ Ezra's eyes flicked down to her lips but he again didn't respond. _

_ Aria leaned in even closer until her mouth was just centimeters away from his. "Are you trying to bribe me, Miss Montgomery?"_

_ "Maybe. Is it working?" _

_ He closed the distance in between them and kissed her, pulling her closer to him and placing one hand on the side of her face. "Yeah it's working."_

* * *

By the time Ezra had finished explained the story to his parents Aria's face was redder than the ketchup that sat at the end of the table. He, of course, had left out the part in his apartment where she had convinced him to let her off the hook completely for the assignment. That was so beyond illegal.

His mother obviously knew by now that they were seeing each other when she was his student but she didn't seem to care. Aria was still astonished by the change of heart she had seen in Dianne. She pushed the pancakes around on her plate and shook her head. He was so dead.

"What grade did she get?" Dianne asked her oldest son.

Ezra glanced over at Aria. "I made her redo the assignment and she got an A."

Aria's eyes widened and she discreetly pulled her cell phone out from under the table. A second later his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and found a text message.

_You lied to your mother._

He smiled and quickly texted back.

_It wasn't the first time._

Aria bit her lip and smiled when she received it. How had she gone three years without those little texts and conversations? She didn't know but she didn't dwell on it either. They were here now. All of them. Ezra knew Sadie and she adored him. She was having a pleasant breakfast with his mother. Needless to say, things were pretty dang good at the moment.

* * *

"Thank you for coming Aria. My mother really appreciates that you're giving her a second chance and she also loved the chance to get to know Sadie a little bit."

Aria smiled and nodded. "Was she serious about taking her to Paris with her this summer?"

"Yeah. This little girl is going to be spoiled beyond comprehension. I hope you realize that," he said looking down at Sadie who was listening to the conversation quietly. "You could probably go as well."

Aria raised one eyebrow. "When girls think of going to Paris, they don't normally think of going with their child's grandmother."

Ezra picked up the slight hesitation in her voice when she tried to think of what to refer to his mother as. They hadn't really discussed where they stood which was probably something they should do in the near future.

"What exactly do girls imagine when they think of Paris?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's the city of love, Ezra. Take that how you will."

"I wanna go," Sadie said, tugging on Ezra's shirt so that he would look down at her.

He kissed her forehead. "You will sweetie. Someday."

Aria's phone began ringing. She was about to decline Hanna's call when Ezra spoke up. "You can take that Aria. We're fine."

She quickly offered a grateful smile and then walked up the sidewalk a little bit. Ezra sat on the bench in front of the small diner and sat Sadie on the edge of his knees. "What are you going to do today?"

She thought only for a second before answering. "Eat. Read."

Ezra smiled. "That's my girl."

She smiled as well and then used his hands to stand up on his legs. "I taller than you."

Ezra looked at the top of her head which was still only level with his forehead. "Are you?"

She nodded and she just let her believe that. The truth of the matter was that she was never going to be anywhere near her father's height but he didn't need to crush her dreams.

Sadie walked unsteadily on his legs until she reached the bench and sat down next to him. "It's pretty," she said.

Ezra looked up. Aria told him that she loved the sky and he had seen the truth of that so many times in the short while he had been with her. "It is pretty. Just like you."

She smiled contently and she leaned against his side. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. They fell silent but that was alright. Just having that moment to be there with her was all he wanted.

Aria began walking back towards the two.

"What was that about?" Ezra asked once she was near enough to hear him.

"Hanna has four tickets for some fashion something in New York next week from Monday to Wednesday," she said nonchalantly.

He raised his eyebrows. "And are you going?"

She nodded.

"What are you doing with Sadie?"

She looked at him. "She's staying with my mom."

He narrowed his eyes. "You're mother is still out of the country."

"Yeah, she's staying with Zach's sister."

"Aria, Zach doesn't have any sisters."

"Then it looks like I'm in need of a babysitter," she said with fake despondence.

He looked at Sadie. "Do you want to stay with daddy for a couple of days?"

There was no hesitation as she quickly climbed onto his lap again and looked at him squarely in the eye. "Really?"

He glanced at Aria who was watching her daughter's reaction. "Really," he answered soberly.

She smiled and nodded.

"It looks like your problem's been solved," he said turning to Aria.

She had planned on him taking her all along so she already had everything figured out. "Okay I'll drop her off at 6:00. If you have something come up Ashley Marin has volunteered to watch her. Or Pam Fields. Or Melissa Hastings. I'll be back really late on Wednesday night so I might just leave her overnight and pick her up Thursday morning."

"Six o'clock in the morning?" he asked. "If that's the case then you should just drop her off Sunday night so that you don't have to get her up so early."

Aria shook her head emphatically. "You get her for three days. That's the longest I've ever been away from her. I'm keeping her Sunday night."

He smiled. As much as he loved Aria, he was really looking forward to spending some time with his daughter. He wanted to build with her the same relationship that she had with Aria. He wanted to be someone that she trusted completely and was never shy around.

"If that's the case then you have to come over for breakfast on Thursday morning."

Aria stuck out her hand which he shook. "You have yourself a deal Mr. Fitz."

* * *

**So in the next part there's going to be a lot of Sadie/Ezra interaction and Aria is going to encounter a few problems. Again, I'm sorry for how late this is and I'll finish the rest of it later this week. Please review!**


	16. Chapter 15B

**~What Once Was Lost~**

**Part 2 of 15**

* * *

"Are you sure that you're up for this?" Aria asked as she stood in his apartment with a bag filled with Sadie's things that would tide her over for a few days until she returned from New York.

Sadie stood next to her mother. The sun was just beginning to peek over the tops of the mountains and it hadn't yet registered to the two year old that it was even daytime.

Ezra yawned and nodded. Somehow he had slept through his alarm and Aria's knock on the door was what had waked him up instead. "I'll be fine, Aria. I've cared for children before."

She raised one eyebrow. "You've cared for _one_ child before and he was almost three times her age."

He scratched the back of his neck. He hadn't really thought about that.

Aria laughed at his expression, "I'm not worried about you, Ezra. As long as you feed her and get her to bed at a decent time she'll be perfectly good. She's really not that hard to manage. And if you need anything just call me at any time. Or, like I said yesterday, Ashley Marin, Pam Fields, and Melissa Hastings will all be happy to help should you need something."

Ezra nodded and quickly contemplated what that phone call would be like if he called any of them. "Aria, I don't know how well any of those conversations would go over. Like what am I supposed to say? 'Hello, Mrs. Fields, this is Ezra Fitz, Emily's former English teacher. I was wondering what medicine I should give to my two year old with a sick stomach. Just disregard the fact that her mother is also my former English student and that I got her pregnant while she was in high school. Putting that aside, what would you recommend?' or 'Hi, is this Melissa? Yes, this is Ezra Fitz. Yes, I am the teacher that was illegally involved with a student and got your little sister's best friend pregnant. No, I have no clue how to care for her. Oh I'm sorry; I'll let you get back to your lunch with the governor of Nevada. Yes, I'll call you if I need anything else. Bye,' or 'Mrs. Marin, this is Ezra Fitz who applied for a teaching job for the sole purpose of spying on your daughter and her friends. I have so much footage and pictures of Hanna that it could be made into a movie, if you're interested. Anyhow, I was just wondering what to do when your child is having an allergic reaction.'"

Aria giggled with each little scenario. The only one out of the three that knew who the father was Melissa and he was probably close to correct when he said the comment about her eating lunch with the governor of Nevada. All of the Hastings was constantly at meetings with incredibly important people. It was uncommon for them to eat a meal with anyone with a status less than executive manager.

Ashley Marin didn't know anything about how he had spied on them for years and she would be totally flipped out if Ezra really did say that. She would also probably call the police because if there was one thing to be said about Hanna's mom, it was that she was fiercely protective of her daughter. There was not a thing in the world that she wouldn't do to keep her safe and Aria had witnessed the truth of that statement numerous times throughout their lives.

And then there was Pam Fields who was a very morally inclined person. When Emily had first came out about her being gay, Pam had nearly turned her out. She had made Emily feel like there was something seriously wrong and that she was no longer accepted by her parents. Aria's relationship with a teacher was also morally wrong. Eventually she would probably come around but initially she would be abhorred.

"Sadie doesn't have allergies," Aria finally said when her laughter had subsided.

Even though Ezra had been somewhat serious about each of those scenarios, Aria's laughter was contagious and he smiled brightly. He hadn't heard her laugh like that in goodness knows how long. Whatever the time period was, it was way too long. Her laugh had the ability to brighten his darkest days and he had missed that so much.

At that moment he had the sudden urge to step forward and kiss her smiling mouth, to feel the softness of her lips against his and to experience the rush of electricity that coursed through him every time they touched. But he didn't. He wasn't going to push her into anything no matter how much he wanted to. If they were going to get back together, it would be her choice and she wouldn't be pressured by him.

His smile faded a little bit. She had been back for over a month and she had never said anything about getting back together. There were times when she hinted that she wanted to be with him but there were times when he had no clue if she wanted him there for her sake or if it was only for Sadie.

She picked up on his slight change in countenance and she cocked her head to one side. "What's wrong?"

He realized that she had been watching him for a minute and he quickly did his best to fully smile again. "Nothing. Everything's fine."

She narrowed her eyes. "Ezra, I know you too well to believe you. Are you okay? Do you not want me to leave her with you?"

He shook his head instantly. "No, I'm really looking forward to spending more time with her." He quickly glanced at the clock on his oven. "It's 6:27. Didn't you say that the girls were picking you up at 6:30?"

Aria caught onto the fact that he wasn't really concerned about what time she had to leave but instead about changing the conversation. "You're impossible at times, Ezra. You know you can talk to me, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I know and I really don't think that I'm the impossible one here."

Aria looked down at Sadie who looked like she was going to fall asleep standing up. "Sadie's not impossible, Ezra. I think that you're confused."

"I wasn't referring to Sadie, Miss Montgomery," he said, wincing inwardly as he did so. He had always thought that by this time he wouldn't have to call her Miss Montgomery anymore and that instead he could say Mrs. Fitzgerald. Form almost the moment he met her he knew that that was the girl that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It had never been like that with anyone else he had dated and that's why he never dated anyone in the three years that she was gone. His hope at her return had seemed fruitless to all bystanders but there was no way he was ever going to give up on the forever that he saw in her eyes.

Aria feigned shock, "What exactly are you suggesting Mr. Fitz?"

He smiled and shook his head. She looked so beautiful and he just wanted to wrap her up in his arms and hold her all day but he couldn't and it frustrated him. They were no longer in that place with their relationship. "I'm not suggesting anything, Aria."

She bit her lip as she tried to figure out what angle he was playing from at the current moment but she had no idea. She agreed with him when he said that she was impossible but he had to agree with her when she said that he was confusing. For the most part she could pretty well tell what he was thinking but there were times when she had absolutely no idea where he was coming from.

"Umm, yeah, so I'm going to go," she said as she slung Sadie's bag onto the couch. He was being weird and she didn't know what to say about it so she just decided to leave.

Ezra knew that Aria knew something was up. He didn't want to elaborate though so he just smiled slightly and watched as she crouched down in front of their daughter.

"I'm going to be gone for a few days Sadie so be good for daddy okay? Have a lot of fun and call me every single night because I'm going to miss you. I love you, Sadie May." Aria gently brushed her daughter's cheek and was surprised to feel a burning in her eyes. It wasn't like she was going to gone for that long but saying goodbye had never been her forte.

She quickly brushed at the corners of her eyes and gave Sadie a hug. "I love you too, mommy."

Aria smiled slightly then stood up and turned to face Ezra. "Thank you again for watching her. She's been really excited to come stay with you. And, like I said, if you need anything please call."

He nodded, "Will do."

She glanced towards the door. "I'd better get going. Have fun!"

Ezra and Sadie both nodded and then Aria left only glancing back once at Sadie who had already climbed into her father's arms. Aria's eyes softened and she stepped out for a few days without either of them. Maybe she didn't want to go.

Aria scolded herself mentally as she shut the door behind her. Staying would be selfish because both Sadie and Ezra wanted time to spend with each other and her being there would take away some of that.

With purpose Aria walked out of the building just as Emily pulled up in her car. Aria smiled at Hanna who was sitting in the passenger seat and then slid into the back seat next to Spencer. She smiled and determined to make the best of her situation and enjoy the time that she had with the three girls who were her other halves, or maybe they were fourths. Either way, they were her support system and her sisters when she had none and her confidants when no one else was. She trusted them all with her life and had missed their friendship almost as much as she had missed Ezra while she was in New York. Now they were back together again excluding Ali and she was more excited than she had realized.

Hanna flipped on the radio and turned the knob until the music was almost loud enough to hurt their ears. Yes, the road trip had officially started.

* * *

"Sadie?" Ezra called but received no answer. He was only in the bathroom for about three minutes and she had already left her position on the couch. She wasn't on the bed. She wasn't in the kitchen. She wasn't in the bathroom. She wasn't at his desk. That was pretty much the entireties of his apartment and he was about to panic a little bit until he remembered something Aria had said.

He sighed and went over to the doors that led to the small porch and pulled back the curtains. Like he had suspected, Sadie was sitting on the edge of the cement with her legs dangling over the edge under the fence. Her face was pressed up against the iron bars as she looked out at the view. Not much could be seen through the large trees that were almost everywhere in the city but it was pretty. Ezra came out there quite a bit when he needed to clear his head.

"What are you doing?" Ezra asked as he sat next to Sadie on the ground. His legs were too big to fit under the fence like hers were but he made do with what he could do.

Sadie looked over at him for a second. "We're tall."

Ezra thought about that for a second before realizing that she didn't mean literally. "We are pretty high, aren't we?"

"The cars are little," she commented.

He nodded and watched her as she scanned her surroundings. There was something different about the way the little girl saw things. Sadie looked at the world with wide eyes, seeing the whole thing rather than the tiny scars and imperfections. She noticed the beauty in the stars rather than the darkness in the night. Her large blue eyes never judged, only observed.

Sometime between birth and high school people lost the ability to look at something and see what it was rather that everything it wasn't. They lost the capability to accept people the way they were rather than the way that they wanted them to be. They stopped looking at the world as something new but rather as something that was overrated.

Ezra never wanted to see his little girl lose the wonder that filled her eyes whenever she looked up at the cloud-peppered sky. He never wanted to see the enchantment leave her face when she saw a beautiful sunset. He never wanted to see the innocence and unreserved joy disappear from her smile when she accomplished something.

It was a futile hope and Ezra knew that. He couldn't shelter her from the bad without keeping her from the wonderful experiences that life had to offer. So, in a sense, she had to lose something to gain something even better. Life's lessons were invaluable and by far the best teacher out there.

Ezra thought back on his life. His mother had tried for years to keep him contained. She discouraged climbing trees and building forts and breaking a bone. She had his life planned out to the tiniest detail. Had Ezra stuck to his mother's plan, he would never have been in Hollis. He never would have met Aria. He would've missed out on that year with Aria that had been the best year of his life. He wouldn't be sitting on his porch next to his daughter.

His fatherly instincts were to keep her at arm's length at all times but that wasn't reasonable at all. If Sadie was anything like Aria, she was fiercely independent. She hated being confined literally and figuratively. When someone told her that she couldn't do something it became her incentive to prove them wrong. Trying to contain Aria was like keeping a caged panther. How does one keep stationary something that was born to run? How does one keep on the ground something that was born to fly?

The answer was simple: you can't. Just looking at Sadie Ezra could tell that she had great things ahead of her. Her enthrallment with her surroundings led him to believe that she would travel across the world to see all of the beauties it had to offer. Her aptitude for English made him think that she would be just like both of her parents and turn to writing to express herself. Her love for everyone around her led him to believe that in turn she would be loved by many.

Yes, the little girl sitting next to him was destined for great things and he would do everything in his power to help her achieve whatever it was she wanted to set her mind do. He wanted to be there as she grew and developed and flourished in school, at home, in life. And he wanted to be an influence in those years. He wanted to be someone that she could look up to and admire. He wanted to be someone that she could talk to about anything and everything, no matter how pointless it seemed.

The actions that he made from that point out would determine the fate of that relationship. That thought was daunting. What if he messed it up? Her whole life depended on him and Aria and that was scary to think about. It wasn't that he didn't have perfect faith in Aria; it was that he had little faith in himself.

"What you thinking about?" Sadie asked with inquisitive blue eyes that had been focused on him for the past three minutes.

He looked over at her and smiled. "I'm thinking about you."

She crinkled her little eyebrows. "What about me?"

"That you are so beautiful and that you probably should give me a hug."

She smiled and slid out from under the fence and crawled onto his lap before wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing as tightly as she could manage.

Ezra wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her close to him. "I love you, Sadie. So much. Don't you ever forget that."

* * *

Aria laughed and took another bite of the frozen yogurt Emily had insisted on buying. "Hanna, you are on one today," she said as she slid the spoon out of her mouth.

The blonde scoffed. "What? I really don't understand why people carry little pigs in their purses. I mean, pigs are made for bacon and not pets!"

Spencer laughed. "And why do you care so much about this, Hanna?"

She rolled her eyes at the brunette. "Because, keeping pigs in a purse to be lugged around shopping all day is like animal torture."

Emily set her empty cup down and raised one eyebrow. "And killing them for breakfast food isn't tortuous?"

Hanna looked at Emily as if she had just suggested that deep conditioning your hair wasn't important. "That's what pigs are made for, Emily. Ham and bacon. That's it."

"What about pork?" Spencer asked.

Hanna glared at her. "Obviously that too."

Aria shrugged and looked out the window of the froyo shop at the many people who were passing. Some had oversized hats to block out the relentless afternoon sun. Some had large cameras around their necks. Some were talking on their cellphones and carrying large briefcases. The range of people in New York City was among the most diverse that Aria had ever seen. There were so many races and cultures and ethnicities and languages that it was hard to keep track of at times. But, she loved it. She loved sitting on a bench and people watching. That was way more interesting than any daytime soap opera that frequented many channels on her TV. There right outside her window were real people with real lives and real problems. Their stories were much more intriguing than whatever happened in shows no matter how good looking the actors were. "Little pigs are actually really cute, in my opinion."

Hanna shifted her gaze to Aria. "No one asked you, Aria."

All of them knew that she was in a weird mood that was heightened by her pregnancy so no one took offense to anything she had said to them that day. "Wow, Han, I think you're a little overly protective of your bacon," Aria said.

She raised her eyebrows. "It's bacon which is meat which is better than cookies. Less calories. Why wouldn't I be protective of my bacon?"

"Actually, bacon has a lot of calories. Like, a lot of calories."

Hanna glared at Spencer again, "Just because you're a Hastings doesn't mean that you know everything."

Aria took another bite of the yogurt. "Actually, I'm pretty sure that being a Hastings does actually mean that you know everything. It's in their blood."

Emily nodded, "It's almost not fair. School comes so easily to them when there were some of us who actually had to spend hours preparing for tests and still failing them. Spencer got A's in her sleep."

"Ew, why are we talking about school? Remember we graduated from that place and they can't make us go back?" Hanna reminded them.

The girls all shook their heads and the blonde. She was very clueless at times and they all loved her for it. "Hanna."

"What?"

"You're impossible."

* * *

Ezra held Sadie's hand as they walked down the sidewalk towards his apartment. In her other hand she held an ice cream cone that she worked studiously at. She wasn't among the children who scarfed desserts like it was nobody's business.

"Sadie, you have a little something on your nose," Ezra said with a smile. The tip of her nose was brown from the chocolate ice cream and it had been that way for about ten minutes before he finally decided to say something about it.

She let go of his hand and wiped at her nose before looking up at her father. "Is it gone?"

He nodded. "That's better."

Sadie smiled slightly and then returned her focus to the ice cream. The bright sun was haven't its effect on the treat and it was starting to drip down the sides. If she didn't finish it quickly they would have a mess to clean up.

"It's going to melt all over if you don't eat it quicker," Ezra said and Sadie looked at the cone and saw the problem.

"Why's it spilling?"

In the day that he had already spent with her, Ezra had learned that Sadie was very curious but often times she wouldn't ask the questions that she had. Instead she would try to figure out the answer for herself and if she couldn't then she would ask. "Because the sun is hot and makes the ice cream go soft. You have to eat it faster so that it doesn't get on your hands and clothes," Ezra answered.

Sadie began working at it at a faster pace and together the two continued walking down the sidewalk in silence. Ezra had learned quite a bit about Sadie through her silence; sometimes it told more than words. She didn't need to be constantly spoken to in order to stay entertained. Ezra imagined that you could leave her in a room with nothing but her mind and she would he occupied for hours until she needed to go to the bathroom or eat or something of the sorts.

"Ezra! Dude, how've you been?" a male voice called from the sidewalk behind him.

He stopped walking and turned around. "Hardy? I've been fine. How are you? I haven't seen you in years. What brings you to Rosewood?"

Hardy sped up a little bit until he was closer. "I have a little work to do at Hollis. Initiation things and what not."

Ezra nodded and smiled, "It's been forever, man. We really need to catch up sometime. How long are you in town for?"

Hardy pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly looked at his calendar. "Until Friday."

"I've got her for a few days but we could definitely do something on Thursday or Friday," Ezra answered.

Hardy finally glanced down and realized that they were not the only two there. "Who is she?"

Ezra leaned down and picked up Sadie. "This is Sadie, my daughter. Sadie, this is Hardy."

Hardy's mouth was open as he stared at the child. "Dude, when did this happen and why was I not aware that I am an uncle?"

Ezra looked at Sadie with proud eyes, "I only found out a few weeks ago."

Hardy was still processing that new information. "So you're a dad?! This child is yours?! Who's the mom?"

Ezra's mind flashed back to that night at the reading when Aria and Hardy had first met. He would probably still remember her. After all, she had bought him fries. "It's Aria. You met her once."

His eyebrows shot up. "Your student, Aria! The president of your fan club, Aria!?"

He nodded. "That's that one."

"So you got your student pregnant and she had your child but kept it a secret for some odd years and now you're a father?!"

"That pretty much sums it up," Ezra said cheerfully.

Hardy leaned against a lamp post that he was standing by. "I'll be honest; I never thought you guys would make it. I always thought that I would have to visit you when you were rotting in prison for being in a teacher student relationship. I never saw this coming." He gestured to Sadie, "But she is very adorable."

He leaned towards Ezra's daughter, "What's your name?"

Sadie laid her head on her father's shoulder before answering quietly.

"You are one very lucky man, Ezra Fitz," Hardy said, shaking his head. There were so many things that could have gone wrong in his friend's life that hadn't and that was amazing. "One very lucky man."

Ezra nodded and kissed Sadie's forehead. "Yes I am."

* * *

**That's the end of chapter 15! I hope you enjoyed and please review!**


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